Turkish Property Port

Turkish Butterflies

Turkish Butterflies

What is Nature Without Butterflies?

To see the multi coloured, delicate wings of the butterfly as it flits from flower to flower is one of the pleasures of nature and one that can be enjoyed in a number of places in Turkey. If you are a lepidopterist (one who study’s butterflies) you will already know that Turkey is home to over 400 species of butterfly. The number of lepidopterists is comparatively low compared to other countries but Turkey from the 1980’s has been trying to conserve the precious habitat of the butterfly. Some movement of butterfly population has been noticed in recent years with the climate change, too hot an area and to dry is not good for them, too much deforestation or destruction of local flora can also devastate a species. Some butterfly species life cycle can have them dormant for a couple of years so sometimes hard to monitor them. A number of websites and forums are now available to support this conservation and to learn more about Turkish butterflies.
One project that is ongoing is the “Butterfly Conservation in Turkey” which evolved from the project Butterfly Conservation in Europe. So far the project has produced a Red Book of Butterflies of Turkey and a conservation strategy, identifying the areas and steps to be taken to conserve the prime butterfly sites.

Places to See Butterflies in Turkey

Without damaging the precious habitat of the butterflies it is possible to view them in a number of conservation areas throughout Turkey. Two such areas are Butterfly Valley and “the wings of Love “Butterfly Garden in Konya. The 86,000 sq.mt Butterfly Valley is located on the Lycian Way on Turkeys western coastline, only accessible by sea the beautiful isolated spot was purchased in the 1980’s with a view to disallow any construction in the area. It is home to approximately 100 species of butterfly including the indigenous colourful Jersey Tiger (orange, black and white). In 1987, the Turkish government placed a preservation order on the area protecting both the butterflies and their essential flora.
Opened in 2015 the Butterfly Garden in Selçuklu area of Konya is a fabulous nature reserve for Tropical and local butterflies which provides visitors with the history and life cycles of these wonderful insects. The buildings are designed in the shape of a butterfly and will also be the home to many species of flora and fauna. A definite place to visit and take the family.