Eski, or 'old' Foça, is no exaggeration for a town that dates from the 11th century B.C. It is situated on the Aegean, 670 km southwest of Istanbul, 65 km north of Izmir. Homer's Siren Rocks, made famous from the Odyssey, can be seen only 3 sea miles away across the bay. Foça has 12,000 inhabitants, and a lively fishing fleet and market is based at its harbour.
Unfortunately many of the original Greek buildings have disappeared, but enough remain, helped by small narrow streets, to preserve the authentic character of this ancient settlement. Visitors with an interest in archaeology will find that the world's second oldest amphitheatre, which has only recently been discovered, is within the town boundary.
The town is a very safe family resort, and whilst there are some discotheques, they do not intrude in the way they can in a more 'developed' resort. Most of the tourists are holidaymakers from Izmir, which helps the town's attractions stay Turkish, and visitors from abroad are mostly Eski, or 'old' Foça, is no exaggeration for a town that dates from the 11th century B.C. It is situated on the Aegean, 670 km southwest of Istanbul, 65 km north of Izmir. Homer's Siren Rocks, made famous from the Odyssey, can be seen only 3 sea miles away across the bay. Foça has 12,000 inhabitants, and a lively fishing fleet and market is based at its harbour.
Unfortunately many of the original Greek buildings have disappeared, but enough remain, helped by small narrow streets, to preserve the authentic character of this ancient settlement. Visitors with an interest in archaeology will find that the world's second oldest amphitheatre, which has only recently been discovered, is within the town boundary.
The town is a very safe family resort, and whilst there are some discotheques, they do not intrude in the way they can in a more 'developed' resort. Most of the tourists are holidaymakers from Izmir, which helps the town's attractions stay Turkish, and visitors from abroad are mostly British with a number of Norwegian, French and Dutch accounting for the rest. |