Phokaia, also spelled Phocaea, was an ancient Ionian Greek city located on the western coast of Anatolia, in modern-day Turkey.
Location: Western Anatolia, on the northern tip of the Gulf of İzmir (ancient Gulf of Smyrna). The modern town of Foça occupies the same spot.
Significance: A major port city in ancient times, Phokaia was also the founding city for several important Greek colonies around the Mediterranean.
Colony foundations:
Massalia (modern-day Marseille, France) - 600 BC
Emporion (modern-day Empúries, Spain) - 575 BC
Elea (modern-day Velia, Italy) - 540 BC
History: Flourished during the Archaic period (8th-6th centuries BC). Faced challenges during the Persian conquest of West Anatolia in the mid-6th century BC. Later came under the rule of various empires like the Seleucids, Pergamon, and Romans.
Archaeological remains: Ruins including the Temple of Athena (one of the oldest Ionian temples discovered), the Beşkapılar Castle, and the Kybele Open Air Temple can be found in modern Foça.