Polonezkoy, formerly known as Adampol is a Polish village located at Istanbul, TURKEY... It was founded by Adam Czartoryski (Chairman of National Uprising Government and the Leader of a Political Emigration Party) in 1842.

In 1772 Austria, Russia and Prussia have singed a treatment to share Poland. On the other side, Ottoman Empire have never accepted Poland's breaking down. With this friendly behavior of Ottomans, Turkish became a harbor for the Polish political emigrants. Especially the crew escaping from the 1831 War, 1848 Hungarian Riot, Crimean War and 1863 Riot have found a safe place with the Turkish protection. After this invasion and secession, National Poland Government was established at Paris, France. Polish Prince Adam Czartoryski have foreseen the independence of Poland with the accompany of Ottoman Empire and participating the war against Russia.

Prince Adam Czartoryski have settled in France during that period and established the Polish Representative Office in Istanbul in 1841. Michal Czajkowski (Chayka Pasha) was the first administrator of this Representative Office. In 1842, Prince Czartoryski ent a letter to the Ottoman Government offering an establishment of Polish Colony at the land's of Lazarist Priests in Istanbul. Lazarist Priests and Ottoman Government accepted the offer and with the treatment signed on 3rd of March, 1842, Prince bought (hired first) the Lazarist Priest's lands of about 5.000.000 square meters to forever. This treatment corresponds the establishment of Polish Agriculture Colony at the Ottoman lands. In 19th of March, 1842, the village took the name of "Adampol" with a religious ceremony. Michał Czajkowski, after converting into the Islam in 1850, took the name of Mehmet Sadik Pasha.

At the beginning in 18th of February 1842, there were only 4 inhabitants at the village, on April 1842, 9 more also settled down to the village, and years by years after more emigration population increased to hundreds. The inhabitants also took the Turkish citizenship in 1938. Population of the village was 88 in 1866. Agriculture and stock-breeding was popular at the beginning. Labor for tourism have started from the years of 1920s. There was 47 well built house with gardens and 165 people at the village in 1920. During these years the non-Muslims settled in Istanbul were in wonder of Polish people's life style and visiting the village very often. Polonezkoy's reputation spread out to Istanbul very fast with this interest. In 1935, the founder of Turkish Republic, ATATÜRK, have visited Polonezkoy as well.
	Prince Adam Czartoryski	Michal Czajkowski Mehmet Sadik Pasha

Polonezkoy eventually became a tourist place and a popular holiday town. The fast living life style and global change in the world since 1980 have changed Polonezkoy as well. Agriculture and stock-breeding stopped. The lands have turned into construction sector. Some of them have been sold. Villas have been constructed for holidays. Village's folks have constructed modern facilities for tourism. Today's Polonezkoy is completely a touristic village. Turkish Government have announced this lovely village as Istanbul's first nature park and banned illegal construction in 1994. Polish Presidents Lech WALESA and Aleksander Kwasniewski have visited the village in 1994 and 1996. Besides this many Polish diplomats, ministers, officers of the army visits Polonezkoy in their visits of Turkey.

There had been many famous worldwide visitors since the establishment of the town. French Liszt in 1847, Gustave Flaubert in 1850, founder of Turkey Mustafa Kemal ATATURK, Pope 23rd Jean, former President Kenan EVREN and Polish President Lech WALESA, author Pierre Loti was some of them. Village had a great affect to its visitors. Czech author Karel Droz says in his novel that "Even this is a fairy tale, it is very real. Far away from the motherland, inside somewhere by the Anatolian hills covered with forests lies a hidden Polish village." And also he describes the view of the village as " a smile of a corner from heaven".

Nowadays, Polonezkoy is one of the most famous villages in the world. About 100 Poles still live and keep their own culture and history. Village is also the one and only place very close to center Istanbul as a holiday town. People prefer to spend their weekends at Polonezkoy's Club Hotels, Pensions and taste the local food in its famous restaurants. There are many hotels, pensions, restaurants and gardens for barbecue parties at Polonezkoy-Adampol.

Polonezkoy today in Turkish lands, have kept the Polish culture alive for more than 150 years. Although Adampols are very faithful Turkish citizens, they also feel themselves as real Polish people. They speak Polish with each other and carry out their fathers' religious believes without any change. Poland lives through the buildings of the village, people's life style, spare time activities and wedding ceremonies at the same time.