Poles facing political persecution have sought refuge in Turkey for centuries. During the Crimean War in the mid-nineteenth century, Polish émigrés even founded their own village there. Called Polonezköy, it’s located in a nature preserve just outside Istanbul.

Even today, the village - which is called "Adampol” in Polish -features half-timbered houses, fenced-in gardens, and a Catholic church. The descendants of the original immigrants continue to uphold many of their old customs, even though they’ve now been Turkish citizens for three or four generations.

European Journal home page: http://www.dw.de/program/european-journal/s-3065-9798