The thousand-year-old monumental plane tree, believed to be 3,000 years old, attracts attention with its massive size.

HATAY (IHA) – The monument ‘Moses Tree’, believed to be 3,000 years old and having a trunk of 7.5 meters in Hatay, is a center of attraction for the local people as well as domestic and foreign tourists. Located in the Hıdırbey Neighborhood, a district of Samandağ, on the coastal area of the city, the plane tree is known as the ‘Moses Tree’ by the local people because it is believed to have been planted by Prophet Moses. The monument tree, with a trunk width of 7.5 meters, a circumference of 21 meters, and a height of 7 meters, attracts visitors from all over the country with its natural beauty. Suleyman Yol, a migrant from Germany to Turkey, said, ‘We came to see the Moses Tree, this is a very beautiful place. While the city is hot everywhere, here is cool and comfortable, I recommend everyone to come. It has a relaxing atmosphere in terms of coolness, and people feel comfortable here.’ Resident Mevlüt Sağır narrated the legend about the tree, saying, ‘Our neighborhood has a historical beauty and people come here for sightseeing. According to the legend, Prophet Khidr and Prophet Moses met in Samandağ. Later, when passing through the Hıdırbey village, Moses planted his staff in the ground and drank from the water below. When he returned, he saw that the staff had sprouted. Therefore, the tree is known as the Moses Tree among the people. According to belief, the staff came to life in the water of the ‘water of life’. The tree has evolved into its current state over thousands of years. On the plaque next to the tree, the trunk diameter of the tree is described as 7.50, the circumference as 21, and the height as 7 meters