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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, and 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. |



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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 many excavation sites in progress and
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.
Foça can
offer a rewarding holiday to those who enjoy bargain hunting at
the local market or at the shops that never seem to close. There
are also coastal walks, hiring local fishing boats for fishing,
painting or sampling sea food prepared by restaurants that
specialize in this. Many of the classical sites such as Ephesus
(144 km), are within easy reach as are the markets in nearby
towns. The large bazar in Izmir has a massive variety of
clothing, spice, jewellery, carpets, wood-work, pottery and
leather shops to select from, and it is very easy to reach by the
local buses which leave every hour.
For those who
want to enjoy the sea without crowds, there are any number of
secluded beaches north of the town that are off the tourist path,
yet very easy to reach. Foça is able to provide an ideal
base for those who have a specific itinerary in mind, or for
those who want to do no more than relax in seaside
environment.
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