The Minister of Environment and Water Manol Genov has declared a protected century-old tree, a sedge oak (Quercus robur) in the village of Staro Zhelezare, Hisarya Municipality.

The mighty oak is a living link between generations – a witness to entire historical eras and part of the natural and cultural heritage of the region, the preservation of which is a common duty. It is about five centuries old – an age that takes the time back far before the period of the Bulgarian Renaissance and the first settlers in the area of today’s Staro Zhelezare. An interesting fact is that the village itself was founded only in the 17th century, which means that the oak is even older than that. While in Hisarya the locals were still using the old Roman baths and fortress walls, and in Europe the Age of Great Geographical Discoveries was raging, this tree was already taking its first roots.

Today it rises 30 meters high, with a trunk at the base of 6.7 meters in circumference and an impressive silhouette that can be seen from afar. Despite its age, the century-old oak is in good phytosanitary condition and has exceptional conservation, scientific, cultural and historical value. That is why it has already been entered in both the state register and the regional register of the Regional Inspectorate for Environment, Water and Fire Protection - Plovdiv. It is about to be marked with an information plate.

According to the Biodiversity Act, the owner of the property - Hisarya Municipality, is obliged to protect the tree from damage and destruction, to report changes in its condition and to coordinate with the environmental inspection the activities for its maintenance and preservation.

The proposal for protection was made by the Association of Parks in Bulgaria.