BY Safir Kaylan | September 29, 2010

Phokaia old stone houses

Phokaia is a small seashore city on the Aegean Coast in Turkey -- situated on the northern rim of the Mediterranean Sea, east of the Greek Islands. During ancient times it was one of the 12 Ionian cities of Western Anatolia.
 
 
Old ceramic pieces from an ancient site, excavated under the direction of Professor Doctor Ömer Özyiğit, confirm that Phokaia's history goes all the way back to 3000 BC. According to archeological studies, settlement strata in the area show signs of many eras, including the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Genoese and Ottoman periods.

 

Phokaia's name comes from the sea lions, or  fok, which live in the area. It is also the English version of the city known as “Foça” today. 

 

Phokaia is not only known as a preservation area for Mediterranean monk seals which are in danger of extinction. It is also known for outdoor fish restaurants and beautiful beaches, and greatly appreciated for its Mediterranean Style old stone houses: especially the ones which are credited with a seal of registry for their historical and cultural value. Under restoration efforts, these old homes are revived through a mix of reconstruction, restitution and rehabilitation methods.

The same type of Mediterranean style homes can also be found in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece. The architectural details and elements exhibit motifs that are borrowed from the Roman ornamentations, Greek forms and figures and in some cases. In some cases Turkish style oriels - or cumba- (a type of bay window) can be seen. Stone and woodwork constitute the main aesthetic elements of the Mediterranean Style. Local tuff stones- a type of limestone- are mostly used to restore these old structures. Despite the shortage of Phokaia stones, renovation activities still continue today in the center of the city. Besides its aesthetic value, natural stones posses insulation properties. They keep homes cool in the summer and preserve warmth during the region's mild winters. Its light yellows, soft grays and reds,and tones of brown blend well with the natural environment.

Restoration architects, local officials and residents form a great alliance here to face and overcome the bureaucratic, political and management issues of the restoration projects. Over the long term, they all share the same vision: to establish Phokaia as an example and a destination for all to witness how to restore cultural heritage. To preserve and share the town's cultural heritage by building centers around the restored stone house neighborhoods, beautifying these public areas with nice lighting, outdoor sculptures and small flower gardens are some of the goals and proposals that are recently presented -during this year's Phokaia art, culture and fishing festival- by the city's restoration architect, Ercüment Kuyumcu.
 
So far, 30 houses have been restored here; 10 by Kuyumcu and “more restoration projects are in the plans” he says. He is very dedicated to the process of conserving, reconstructing, restoring and rebuilding the past cultural weave or with his own words “street texture.” One of his suggestions is dressing up concrete buildings with stonework to partially eliminate their ordinary appearance. Phokaia is indeed a unique location to preserve and highlight the mastery of the ancient stone carving and building techniques which is also the city's pivatol cultural heritage.