OLD FOÇA – İZMİR
Old Foça İzmir. My mind is stuck in Foça. I do not exaggerate. Eski Foça is one of the places we stop by during our trip.. Foça, which I haven’t been able to think of coming a long time ago. While we were thinking about where to go with my wife when we were leaving Sığacık, we had Alaça in mind, the direction of Urla, or Foça, Bergama, even. Using our preference for Foça and Bergama, we set off after having our breakfast in Seferihisar at around 10:30 in the morning. While passing through İzmir on our way, many people were fishing on the beach with their fishing rods thrown into the sea, and many people were walking around on foot or on their bicycles.. How was my weather? Today, the weather is beautiful, the sea is beautiful, İzmir is already beautiful.
In İzmir, we first enter the ring road and then turn to the Çanakkale road. On the way to Izmir-Canakkale, after Karşıyaka, Çiğli, Menemen, passing through Buruncuk, 39. When you turn left at the first lights at km, we are on the way to Foça.. This road is a single lane road and we reach Eski Foça after 26 km.. When we look at our watch, it has been about an hour and a half since we left Seferihisar.
We start to wander the streets of Foça with curiosity. Foça is a coastal town located in the north of İzmir.. When the city emerged as an Ionian city in Antiquity, it was named Phokaia because of the seals living in the sea, and has come to the present day as Foça. The walls passing over the hills to the east of the city in ancient times also surrounded the peninsula where the Temple of Athena was located.. Both the ancient and today’s Foça are located within the area surrounded by these walls.. The best preserved parts of the walls surrounding the city, dating from the Middle Ages, are the repairs made during the Byzantine, Genoese and Ottoman periods on the peninsula.. Now it is a partially destroyed crenellated and towered fortification.. The section with five gates lined up side by side was used to enter the city.. According to the inscription in the Beşkapılar region, it was repaired in 1538-1539 during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent.. This part of the tower was restored in 1983.
Foça, an Aegean town; Homer Epic’ Seal and rooster are the symbols of the mythological city of Foça, which is also mentioned in n.. Foça is an ancient fishing town with its tranquility, deep blue sea, gentle winds and unspoiled structure provided by the stone houses in Foça. Foça is a holiday destination that will definitely leave the impression of “I’m stuck in Foça” for those who go here for the first time.. If you press that famous karataş’, you will have to come back to Foça.. But where is this Karataş, nobody knows.
For those who do not know the legend of Karataş and listen from us;
There is a story told among the people in Foça; ‘The Legend of Karataş’. According to this, there is an unknown stone in Foça and no one knows its location.. This stone, known as Karataş, can be in any street or between cobblestone pavements.. The legend is this, “Whoever; If he stepped on Karataş, he would want to settle in Foça and stay here forever.. Wherever his path goes, the person who steps on Karataş will definitely return to Foça one day.. It is said that the person who steps on Karataş always returns to Foça, even if he has a hard time going somewhere. Everyone who has been to Foça once hears this story and wanders around the streets.. Hoping ‘Maybe I will step on Karataş and stay in this beautiful place.’ we’re starting to wander around. We continue our Foça tour among the historical stone houses, fish restaurants and ancient buildings of Old Foça.
You will see five gates in front of the wall on the Foça beach.. This ancient city is the five gates castle.. When you enter through one of these doors, a small ancient theater will welcome you.. There was a painting exhibition inside when we went.. This castle already hosts events such as exhibitions and festivals and was used as an Open Air Theatre.. The Five Gates Castle was built by the Genoese in 1275.
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Don’t forget to go to the siren rocks, which are among the places to visit in Foça. Siren Cliffs took its name from mythology in history.. Sirens, mentioned in mythology, are creatures with bird-shaped bodies and women’s heads, known for the beauty of their magical music.. According to the legend; Sirens living here enchanted the sailors on the passing boats with their supernatural music.. The sailors, fascinated by the beauty of the music and the Sirens, wanted to stay here until they died, and with these thoughts, they crashed into the rocks in the region with their ships.. The largest of these reefs, consisting of islets resembling seals, is the Orak Island reefs.. Mediterranean monk seals, one of the twelve mammal species in danger of extinction in the world, sometimes emerge from the rocks, but they are also afraid of humans.. Therefore, in order to protect the Mediterranean monk seals living in Foça, it is forbidden to approach up to 2 miles between the head of Aslanburnu and Deveboynu, and to approach no closer than 100 m to the Siren Rocks and Orak Island, where the seals are seen.
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With a Boat Tour, you can visit these islands and the surrounding bays by taking a daily boat tour to the islands known as the Foça Islands, such as Orak Island, İncir Island, Fener Island, Haysız island and Metalik Island.
While returning from Foça. We completed our visit to Foça by visiting the Persian Mausoleums, which were built as a monument for the Persian commanders on our way, 7 km from the center, and later used as a grave, observation point and resting place, and staying in Foça.
To summarize what we saw, heard and ate in Old Foça;
Beş Kapılar Castle……: Five ancient times the entrance to the city consisting of gates.
Phokaia Ancient City..:An ancient city with the temple of Athena on the highway connecting Old Foça to New Foça.
The Devil Bath……..: An ancient family tomb on the skirts of Çan Hill, 2 km from Foça center.
Boat Tour…………….: Orak Island, In Foça, where there are islands such as İncir Island, Fener Island, Haysız island and Metalik island, you can explore these islands more closely with a boat tour. Boat tour is a must in Foça.
Siren Rocks…….:The habitat of Mediterranean seals, where you can go by boat.
The Legend of Karataş… …: If that stone comes across to you, if you step on it, that legendary stone that you will never be able to leave Foça again.
Ancient Greek Houses…….: The narrow corner of Foça Stone houses with gardens and large balconies lined up on its streets.
Foça Karası…………..: The legendary wine of Foça.
The famous Crete Gum Ice Cream.: The famous gum ice cream with long queues in front of the ice cream master Nazmi.
Fresh Fish and Seaweed Smell.: A place where you can find almost all kinds of fish a seafaring town.
Take into account the wind..: Because of the wind that blows most of the year, don’t be fooled by the hot weather during the day and put on something at night.
Where to stay……….: Think about staying Is the main subject to talk about Old Foça or New Foça?. Those who want to feel that they are in Foça, go to Eski Foça. It doesn’t matter, those who call me a place in New Foça.
What to Eat……………..:Foça has been a seafaring town for 3,000 years. Even if you eat mussels, you will be full. Fish pattern as long as you don’t want. From swallows to whiting, from oysters to sea bream, from sea bass to trance, bream, bluefish, sea bream, coral, squid, octopus, mussel, lobster, shrimp whatever you want.. You came to the bottom of the sea. Of course you eat fish. And raki, ohhhhhhhh good luck.
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