Heading westwards across the fertile plain watered by the Gediz River, you suddenly catch the salty scent of the sea in the air. Then a monumental tower thought to have been built by one of the generals of Alexander the Great comes into sight at the right-hand side of the road next to a Roman bridge. Then you cross the pine clad hills and suddenly find yourself facing the blue Aegean, a coast indented with bays stretching out in both directions, the sand beach of Orak Island, lighthouses, and the minaret of Fatih Mosque. Gazing upon this entrancing landscape, it feels as if you only have to reach out to touch the sails of the yachts, the nets of the fishermen and the light of the lighthouse.

At the entrance to the town of Foça are statues of seals, which are both the origin of Foça's name and its mascot. The small colony of just nine Mediterranean seals (Monacus monacus) is protected under a programme supported by the Worldwide Fund for Nature, and it is forbidden to dive and fish in the sea around the cliffs where they live. The name Foça comes from the ancient Phokaia, which means 'town of seals,' and many coins minted here bear the figure of a seal.

Foça was founded by the Aeolians in the 11th century BC, and expanded in both size and wealth in the 9th century with the arrival of Ionians from Kyme, Erythrae and Teos. The Phokaians established colonies far and wide, not only on the Aegean, Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts, but at Elea (Velia) in Italy, Alaia in Corsica, and Marseille in France, using boats with 50 oars capable of carrying 500 people.

Archaeological excavations are continuing in this part of the town, where you will come across the remains of an ancient wall and a mosaic pavement belonging to a 4th or 5th century Roman villa, as well as carefully restored stone houses more than a century old. Almost all the streets in Foça lead down to the sea, where the wind ruffles the waves and small boats dot the surface. From an Ottoman period almanac dated 1891 we learn that Old Foça had a population of 14,548, that its municipality had an annual income of 30,000 kurus, and that 81 lamps illuminated the streets. The almanac warns that since the streets are so narrow, the municipality must clean them well. New Foça had a population of 7002.

Walking along the sea front as the sun begins to sink towards the horizon, the fishermen mending their nets join in the conversations of the strollers. The fishing boats set out to sea at sundown, and meanwhile back on shore the fish restaurants begin to bustle in readiness for their evening customers.

After wandering through these streets, a delicious smell of grilling fish draws you towards one of the numerous restaurants, and you find yourself seated at a table enjoying more local flavours.


* Ömer Faruk Üründül is a photographer and writer.