Plants Of Kaz Mountains İn New Museum

A new public museum is to be opened in the western province of Balıkesir's Edremit district, housing 170 herbs collected over the past five years from the Kaz Mountains.

The museum's creator, businessman Faruk Durukan, produces pharmaceutical essences out of herbs and exports them to Switzerland and Germany. Last year, he decided to continue his research work and development on the Kaz Mountains.

After his research, he established a complex named the "Science and Healthy Life Village," as well as a dried herb museum.

Following five years of work, many medical and aromatic herbs, including sage, milfoil, lemon balm, basil and cantarion went on display to researchers four months ago. The official opening of the museum will be conducted in June.

Durukan said video presentations and slides about the herbs were also available at the museum. "Mostly scientists visit our museum. It will be open to the public by midsummer. They will be able to drink herbal teas and see the [teas'] herbs in the museum," he said.

Durukan said the Kaz Mountains was home to 800 species of plants. "Among them, 77 are endemic plants. We have a team of five which includes a biologist, a forest engineer and pharmacists."

For now, the museum is displaying herbs that are unique to the Kaz Mountains but in the coming days, the numbers and types will increase, with Durukan setting the museum's future herb count at 500.

(PHOTO) - Istanbul