Polonezköy, Polish settlement in Beykoz district, Turkey.
Polonezköy is a Polish settlement in the Beykoz district on the Asian side of Istanbul that spreads across forested hills. The village consists of traditional wooden houses with gardens distributed across the rolling terrain.
Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski founded this settlement in 1842 as a refuge for Polish emigrants following the November Uprising against Russian rule. The community developed from this beginning into a lasting settlement.
The Mother Mary Church and Polish Cemetery display names and inscriptions that mark the story of Polish settlers in this Turkish village. Visitors walking through these spaces can see how this heritage remains visible in daily life.
The village offers accommodations in local hotels and pensions, with restaurants serving Polish and Turkish dishes year-round. Visitors should wear proper footwear since paths lead across the hilly terrain.
Descendants of the original Polish settlers still speak their language and practice their traditions while living alongside Turkish neighbors. This daily mixing makes the village a rare example of lived coexistence.
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