| Polonezköy Nature Park | |
|---|---|
| Polonezköy Tabiat Parkı | |
 A view of the Polonezköy landscape. | |
  Polonezköy NP Location of the nature park in Istanbul, Turkey. | |
| Location | Polonezköy,Beykoz,Istanbul |
| Coordinates | 41°07′04″N29°12′37″E / 41.11778°N 29.21028°E /41.11778; 29.21028 |
| Area | 3,004 ha (7,420 acres) |
| Established | 1994 |
| Governing body | Ministry of Environment and Forests Directorate-General of Nature Protection and National Parks |
Polonezköy Nature Park (Turkish:Polonezköy Tabiat Parkı) is anature park in the village ofPolonezköy inIstanbul,Turkey.
Polonezköy is situated in theBeykoz district of Istanbul Province. The area was declared anature park by theMinistry of Environment and Forests in 1994. It covers an area of about 3,004 ha (7,420 acres).[1] It is the province's first, and in terms of area, largest, nature park. The protected area is named after the village ofPolonezköy, which was settled in 1842 by a small group ofPolish emigrants, after the failedNovember Uprising. The settlement was initially named "Adamköy" or "Adampol" (literally Adamville) in honor ofAdam Jerzy Czartoryski, and was renamed later to "Polonez Karyesi". In 1923, it was changed to its current official name.[2]
The nature park offers many outdoor recreational activities such aspicnicking,camping,trekking andorienteering.[1] There is a 5 km (3.1 mi)-longhiking,cycling, andjogging course, as well as observation towers. There are also a number of restaurants.[1] Lodging is available in a number ofboarding houses and hotels in the village.[2]
The nature park has a very rich variety of vegetation. Common plants include black pine (Pinus nigra), Turkish pine (Pinus brutia),Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), sessile oak (Quercus petraea), Turkey oak (Quercus cerris), Hungarian oak (Quercus frainetto), horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), Norway spruce (Picea abies), oriental plane (Platanus orientalis), Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), common hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), Scots elm (Ulmus glabra),alder (Alnus orientalis), oriental beech (Fagus orientalis), silver linden (Tilia tomentosa), oriental arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis),Smilax (Smilax excelsa), bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), common laurel (Laurocerasus officinalis), cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis), common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), scarlet firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea), giant heather (Erica arborea) and guelder-rose (Viburnum opulus).[1][2]
There is apheasant farm and adeer farm inside the nature park. Wild animals observed in the protected area include mammals likered deer,roe deer,wild boars,jackals,squirrels,martens,weasels, and the bird species ofpheasant,partridge,hawk,buzzard,falcon,eurasian blackbird,European goldfinch,common wood pigeon,owl,magpie andsparrow.[1][2]
