Routes from Phokaia to the Mediterranean

"To establish a city on the most beautiful lands under the most beautiful sky on earth…" The famous ancient historian Heradot told the people of Foça in this way.

Cock! What connection does it have with Foça now? Wasn't it a seal that gave its name? What does it have to do? Let's tell the story. If one day your way falls to Marseille, in front of the town hall, in an inscription on the ground, "This city where you live was made by the seafarers of Foça BC. It was founded in 600 and the sun of civilization rose from here and spread throughout Europe. " Do not leave without seeing the article. In 600 BC, adventurous seafarers from Foça with high maritime knowledge became the founders of a few cities known in the Mediterranean, leaving behind their homeland, formerly Phocaea, Phokaia or today known as Foça. Here is one of them is Marseille known as Massilia.

The people of Phokaia, who engaged in the maritime trade of olive oil, grapes, wine, ceramic pots and textiles, were highly skilled in building durable and fast ships. According to Herodotos, they had large but fast ships for that age, capable of carrying 500 passengers with a length of 50 meters.

The invincible Persian armies stood against Phokaia's 18-20 meters high walls. Phokaians asked the Persian king for one night before surrendering. The Persian King Harpagos agreed, and the next morning, they entered the city with a pretentiousness and could not find alive except a mange and a dog. Phokaians, who chose to remain without a land instead of being slaves, had already set sail by carrying their valuable belongings from the tunnels under the city. A group of Phocaeans arrived in Marseille, the French coast. In this voyage with rowing ships, there was a rooster symbol in front of each ship. They also carried the Phokaians culture, who established cities by going to many Mediterranean shores with their own ships. They took the alphabet to France and spread olive cultivation to many shores of the Mediterranean.

In 2009, a group of scientists and volunteers set out from Foça with a specially produced Kybele, pulled with shovels from the ancient world, advancing with wind power and going with a manual navigation. Their aim was to culturally make Marseille and Foça brothers again. Their names in the Aegean and the Mediterranean; They stopped by the ports of Molyvoz, Elea, Olbia, Alalia, Nice, Antipolis * and covered 1700 nautical miles in 54 days.

Foca, which is one of the 12 Ionian cities on the Aegean coast of Anatolia, was the pioneer of its age in terms of trade, culture and civilization. Well the Rooster, that is the symbol of France today and also actually the Phocaea value, which means vitality and early awakening and power.If you happen to be in Foca, visit Marseille square. Its surroundings are full of historic buildings, but it is waiting to regain respect for its meaning.