Polonezköy

Polonezköy or Adampol (pol.) is a small village at the Asian side of Beykoz/Istanbul, about 30km away from Istanbul founded in 1881 by Polish settlers.

History of AdampolAdampol - Polonezköy today - was founded by Adam Czartoryski in 1842. He was the chairman of National Uprising Government and the leader of a political emigration party. Because of the name of the founder that place was named Adam-koj, which means "Village of Adam" (abbreviation form Adampol).

Duke Adam Czartoryski wanted to create the second emigration centre (the first was Paris). He sent his representative, Michał Czajkowski, to Turkey. Michał Czajkowski, after converting into the Islam in 1850, was known as Mehmed Sadyk Pasza. He bought some forest area from a missionary order of lazarists. It was planned to create Adampol on that area in the future.At the beginning the village was inhabited by 12 people, but there were not more than 220 people when the village was most populated. In the course of time Adampol developed and was flooded by a lot of emigrants from the rebellion in November 1830, the Crimean War (1853) and by runaways from Siberia and from Czerkieska captivity. The first inhabitants busied with agriculture, raising and forestry. Before the II World War the first tourists had already arrived. The inhabitants of Adampol took the Turkish citizenship in 1938.Adampol always attracted attention of elites and was visited by famous people. Town chronicles registered such famous people as: Ferenc Liszt (1847), French writer Gustave Flaubert (1850), Czech writer Karel Droz (1904), the first president of Turkish Republic Kemal Atatürk (1937), Pope nuncio Angelo Roncalli - the future Pope John XXIII (in 1941 some children received confirmation from him during his visit) and the first Polish diplomat after the War - Adam Rapacki, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of PRL accompanied by Turkish dignitaries (1961).

In 1985 the village was visited by the President of Turkey Kenan Evren and in 1994 - Lech Wałęsa. The next Polish president - Aleksander Kwaśniewski - was twice in Adampol: in 1996 and in 2000 and visited the House of the memory of Zofia Rizi. Two years later Adampol celebrated the 160 anniversary of its founding.

Polish-Turkish relations are better, so some Polish people stay at Adampol-inhabitants place and visit a country of their forefathers. Nowadays there are about 1000 people in Adampol and about 40 speak Polish fluently. There is a festival in Adampol-Polonezköy every summer, that enhances relationships between Adampol and Poland. The inhabitants pay some folk bands from Poland on their own and invite them to come to Adampol.

Monuments and places of interest

* House of the Memory of Zofia Rizi, housing souvenirs, old and new photos, books and documents, interior decors,

* Our Lady of Częstochowa Church

* Cemetery; some interesting graves, especially Ludwiga Śniadecka's grave, who was a Słowacki's beloved and about 92 other graves, which have been renovated by the Fight and Martyrdom Memory Protection Council.

Websites

* http://www.polonezkoy.com
* http://www.istanbul.gov.tr/Default.aspx?pid=379
* http://www.polkahotel.com/english/polonezkoy.htm
* http://www.adampol-polonezkoy.pl The House of Memory of Zofia Ryży