Where is Çam ve Sakura Millet Bahçesi, what is inside and what does its name mean?

Çam ve Sakura Millet Bahçesi is a nation's garden on Gökova Caddesi in the Başakşehir neighborhood. The first phase of the garden, 80,000 square meters, opened in 2024 and has 18 play structures, a zipline, a skate park and free parking for 88 cars. The park takes its name from the nearby Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital: çam (pine) symbolizes abundance and plenty, and sakura symbolizes beauty in Japanese culture. The municipality's women's activity center, Bakmer Sakura, is also in the park. The much-talked-about giant colorful slide, however, is at a paid entertainment center next to the park. The park is open 24 hours, and the 78E and 78F buses stop on Gökova Caddesi. For Gaziantep cuisine at the end of your visit, Lezzet-i Şark Gusto beneath Fatih Terim Stadium is about 10 minutes away by car.

Where is Çam ve Sakura Millet Bahçesi?

Çam ve Sakura Millet Bahçesi is on Gökova Caddesi in the Başakşehir neighborhood. Its full address is Ilgaz Sokak 20N, 34480 Başakşehir/Istanbul. The park is southeast of Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, on the east side of Olimpiyat Boulevard.

Built as part of the landscaping of the Menekşe stream, the park was planned in three phases, and the plan as a whole covers 350,000 square meters. The part open today is the first phase of 80,000 square meters, opened in 2024. As one of Başakşehir Municipality's eight nation's gardens, Çam ve Sakura counts among the district's things to do, together with Sular Vadisi and Bahçeşehir Gölet.

What does Çam ve Sakura mean?

Çam ve Sakura is a name that speaks of Turkish-Japanese friendship: çam (pine) symbolizes abundance and plenty, and sakura symbolizes beauty in Japanese culture. In Turkish, sakura means cherry blossom tree. The park takes its name from the nearby Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital.

The hospital was built jointly by a Turkish and a Japanese company under a public-private partnership model. The hospital serves on an area of about one million square meters. After it opened, pine trees and sakuras were planted in the hospital garden as a symbol of the friendship. In spring 2022, the sakuras began to decorate the hospital garden with their pink blossoms.

Başakşehir Municipality also planned the park in 2022 with a Japanese park concept. Besides pine and sakura, maple, ornamental plum, ornamental apple and magnolia species were envisaged.

What is in Çam ve Sakura Millet Bahçesi?

Çam ve Sakura Millet Bahçesi has 18 play structures, a zipline, trampolines, a skate park, a bike and walking path, a children's library and parking for 88 cars. Of the park's 80,000 square meters, 57,960 square meters are green space, and the park has 1,588 trees and 3,152 shrubs. The park's facilities are as follows.

For	What there is
Children	Among the 18 play structures: playgrounds with towers, zipline, trampolines, rope bridge, climbing area, swings, carousel, rope adventure playground and a playground with musical instruments
Sports	1,042 meters of bike and walking path, fitness areas, skate bowl
Rest	34 benches, 12 gazebos
Services	Toilets, baby care room, kiosk, small mosque, children's library, regional products building
Parking and lighting	Parking for 88 cars, 186 lamp posts, 12 solar-powered lamp posts

Because the park opened in 2024, the trees are still small and shade is scarce, so a hat and water are a good idea at midday in summer. In the evening the park is lit and it stays open at night.

Is there a slide at Çam ve Sakura Millet Bahçesi?

The giant colorful slide is not inside Çam ve Sakura Millet Bahçesi but at an entertainment center next to the park, with a separate entrance. The entertainment center is a business, and the slide charges a fee. The park's own playgrounds have no giant slide.

Besides the slide, the entertainment center has other paid activities and a cafe. Among the park's 18 play structures, the playgrounds with towers, the zipline, the trampolines and the carousel stand out.

Is there a Bakmer at Çam ve Sakura Millet Bahçesi?

Yes, the Bakmer Sakura facility of the Başakşehir Women's Activity Center (BAKMER) is inside Çam ve Sakura Millet Bahçesi. Opened in October 2025, the facility has a Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Class and a Women's Event Center. Bread, macaron and pastry workshops are announced on Başakşehir Municipality's ticket site, where registration also takes place.

The Bizim Çınarlar Life Center opened in the park on the same day. The first branch of this municipal center for older residents had opened at Sular Vadisi in 2024.

How do you get to Çam ve Sakura Millet Bahçesi?

By public transport, you reach Çam ve Sakura Millet Bahçesi at the Gökova Caddesi stop of İETT, Istanbul's public bus operator. The 78E and 78F buses serve the stop right next to the park. If you come by car, you can use the park's free parking lot for 88 cars.

There is no metro station next to the park. The two nearest stations are Başak Konutları and Şehir Hastanesi on the M3 line (Bakırköy Sahil-Kayaşehir Merkez). From either station, the walk to the park is about 1.5 kilometers, around 20 minutes.

Where can you eat after Çam ve Sakura Millet Bahçesi?

There is no sit-down restaurant at Çam ve Sakura Millet Bahçesi, so you need to leave the park to eat. Başakşehir's restaurants are gathered in the center, in Kayaşehir and around the city hospital.

For those looking for Gaziantep cuisine, Lezzet-i Şark Gusto is beneath Fatih Terim Stadium, at Block C No: 5. The park is about 5 kilometers from the stadium by car, around 10 minutes depending on traffic. If you prefer the bus, the 78E and 78F run without a transfer from the stop next to the park to near the stadium. Our menu has beyran from the pot, küşleme and ali nazik from the grill, thin-crust lahmacun and small fındık lahmacun from the oven, and katmer and künefe for dessert. Our restaurant has free parking and valet service, and a private dining room for large families. We are open every day until midnight, and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. You can book your table on WhatsApp.