Foça

Overview

North of İzmir, the road leaves the olive groves and drops to a small town wrapped around two bays. Below, fishing boats tie up at the quay. Old stone houses line the water, and castle walls rise from the rocks. Out among the islands, the endangered Mediterranean monk seal still finds shelter. This is Foça, ancient Phocaea, the town of seals. From İzmir, join our Foça day trip.

Phocaea, the Town of Seals

To begin with, the ancient name Phocaea is linked to the seals, phoca, that lived on the islands nearby, and the city even put a seal on its coins. Aeolian Greeks settled here in the 11th century BC. Ionians made it one of the great cities of their coast.

The sailors who founded Marseille

Most famously, the Phocaeans were master sailors. Later, they founded colonies all around the Mediterranean and the Black Sea: Massalia, today’s Marseille, Amisos, today’s Samsun, Lampsakos on the Dardanelles, and Elea in Italy. Besides, they were among the first people in Ionia to mint coins of electrum, a natural mix of gold and silver.

Genoese alum and a castle

Then, in the Middle Ages, Phocaea grew rich again from alum, a mineral prized for dyeing cloth. For example, in 1267, the Byzantines granted its mines to the Genoese brothers Benedetto and Manuele Zaccaria, and the Genoese held the town for many years. Today, their castle still guards the smaller bay.

Phocaea and Nea Fokaia

Later still, until the early 20th century, most people here were Greek. After the massacre of Phocaea, the survivors left, and many founded the new town of Nea Fokaia in Halkidiki, Greece.

What to See in Foça

The two bays and the castle

First, walk around the two bays: Büyükdeniz, the Great Sea, and the smaller Küçükdeniz inside it, where the castle stands. Follow the path along the walls at sunset.

The boat tours

Next, take one of the boat tours from the town center. After all, much of the coast between Foça and Yenifoça is strictly protected, so new building is not allowed, and the small coves stay wild.

Taş Kule

Also, drive about 7 kilometers (4 miles) east to Taş Kule, a strange tomb of the Persian period carved from a single rock. It rises two stories, about 4.5 meters (15 feet), with the sarcophagus on top, and scholars know no exact parallel for it anywhere.

The Monk Seals of Foça

Finally, the seals. Foça is one of three marine protected areas in Turkey for the Mediterranean monk seal, a heavily endangered sea mammal. So if you are lucky enough to see one from a boat, keep your distance and stay quiet.

Tips for visiting Foça

How to Visit Foça

Foça lies about 69 kilometers (43 miles) northwest of central İzmir.

Then combine it with the royal city of Pergamon, the island town of Cunda near Ayvalık, and our guide to İzmir.