Kartal: Landscape and Geographic Orientation

Three points of reference are useful for a geographical overview of Kartal: the protected areas on Dragos Hill, Aydos Dağı, and the Sea of Marmara along the district’s southern boundary. They belong to different spatial levels. The designation on Dragos Hill concerns Kartal and Maltepe, Aydos Dağı lies partly within Kartal district, and the coastline marks its southern side. Taken together, these details help orient visitors to the wider area around the destination.

Protected areas on Dragos Hill

Areas on Dragos Hill have been designated under three levels of protection. The upper woodland is included in the first level. Areas in the southwest and a section along the coastal road are classified as second-degree protected areas. The third level covers the area between these protected areas, extending east to Tugay Deresi and west to the Tekel site. The description thus identifies both individual sections and the geographical boundaries of the third area. When finding your bearings, the compass directions and named boundaries are therefore just as important as the three levels of protection: the southwestern area and the section by the coastal road belong to the second level, while Tugay Deresi and the Tekel site mark the eastern and western boundaries of the third level.

Dragos and its regional context

Another designation concerns Dragos Hill and its immediate surroundings within the districts of Kartal and Maltepe: under decision no. 5385 of November 11, 1999, they were designated as a natural monument area. This designation complements the description of the protection levels. For geographical context, it is useful to distinguish between the designated natural monument area and the areas described as first-, second-, and third-degree zones. Both details concern the area around Dragos Hill, but refer to different types of designation. The geographical scale matters too: the description covers Kartal and Maltepe, not just one place in Kartal district.

Aydos Dağı and the southern district boundary

Aydos Dağı is 573 m high and lies partly within Kartal district. The district administration describes it as Istanbul’s highest mountain. It therefore provides an elevation reference for getting your bearings around Kartal. To the south, Kartal district borders the Sea of Marmara. Aydos and the Sea of Marmara thus represent different geographical reference points: one is an elevation, the other the district’s southern boundary. Together, they complement the information about Dragos with two further aspects of the regional landscape. For an overview of Kartal, elevation and direction can be considered separately, without combining them into a single description of the area.

Geographic orientation when searching for a hotel

If landscape and geography matter to your travel plans, first consider which reference point is important to you: the protected areas on Dragos Hill, the elevation of Aydos Dağı, or the district’s southern edge on the Sea of Marmara. This turns the general search destination of Kartal into a more focused choice, without treating the protected areas, the mountain, and the coastline as interchangeable points. When comparing several hotel offers, the location of each is a useful point of comparison; which address suits your plans depends on what you intend to do. Start your search with Kartal as the destination and add the geographical reference that is relevant to your stay.

Discover more destinations: Işıklar, Ağva Merkez, Maltepe, Ağaçlı, Anadolufeneri Köyü, Polonez, Kumköy, Zekeriyaköy

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