Kartal in the Regional Landscape

Kartal can be understood through three landscape features: the district borders the Sea of Marmara to the south, Dragos Hill and its surrounding area are designated as a natural monument area, and Mount Aydos, at 573 metres, lies partly within the district. These details refer to different spatial scales. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can therefore start by considering which aspect of the landscape matters most for orienting yourself in the region. The Dragos landscape area includes the hill and its surrounding area within the districts of Kartal and Maltepe.

Kartal on the Sea of Marmara

The Sea of Marmara forms the southern boundary of the Kartal district. This places Kartal on the seaward side at district level. As a first geographical reference point, this boundary can be distinguished from the named landscape areas of Dragos and Aydos. When locating Kartal on a map, this tells you which way the district faces to the south and complements the protected-area and elevation information with a coastal orientation.

Dragos: a landscape with several levels of protection

It is worth looking more closely at the precise divisions of Dragos Hill and its surrounding area within the districts of Kartal and Maltepe. The upper woodland area was designated as a first-degree protected area. The second level includes a southwestern area and a section along the coastal road. The third-degree protected area covers the area between these protected areas, extending east to Tugay Deresi and west to the Tekel site. This classification distinguishes specific subareas and assigns them different levels of protection. For this regional landscape area, the levels and directional details provide more precise orientation than the collective name Dragos alone.

Dragos Hill and its surrounding area within the districts of Kartal and Maltepe were designated as a natural monument area by decision no. 5385 of 11 November 1999. The reference to two districts is part of the regional context: the area in question includes Kartal and Maltepe. Dragos can therefore be understood as a reference point for a landscape area whose designated extent is not assigned to just one district. Together with the levels of protection, the hill is described both under an overarching designation and through its individual subareas.

Mount Aydos as an elevation reference

Mount Aydos adds a different scale. The mountain is 573 metres high; the district administration describes it as Istanbul’s highest mountain. At the same time, it lies partly within the Kartal district. Height and district location describe different aspects: the figure gives the mountain’s elevation, while the location indicates its relationship to the district. Aydos thus complements the coastal and protected-area orientation with a clear elevation reference.

For regional orientation, the three landscape features answer different questions: the Sea of Marmara locates the district’s southern boundary, Dragos provides a classification by levels of protection for the landscape area in the districts of Kartal and Maltepe, and Aydos provides an elevation reference, with part of it located within Kartal district. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can start with the aspect that most shapes your idea of the region. This lets you consider coastal orientation, protected landscape areas and elevation according to your interests.

Discover more destinations: Istanbul, Heybeliada Mahallesi, Işıklar, Yayla, Esenyurt, Yeniköy, Büyükçekmece, Gümüşdere Köyü

Back to the main travel overview: Istanbul.