Lygeri & Dina Bolka

1914/1922/1924

Visits to Foça

Frank Geraotis

Franks’ box of photos

Visits to Foça

The Bolka sisters remember remarkable stories about the times they visited Eski Foça and saw elder Phoceans find and visit their old homes.

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This is an interactive video. Related videos will pop up during play as well as on the end screen. You can also access them via the sequential tabs on top of the video. Choose how you want to proceed in your journey.

Explore further content from Palaia Fokaia

Zacharo Frantzeskou

Zacharo recounts how she uncovered the story of 1914 through fragments in her family’s history and memoirs; speaks of the once peaceful coexistence between the two communities and of how, remarkably, she initiated the rapprochement of the communities, 80 years after the events.

Dimitrios Mageiras

Dimitrios explains the harrowing conditions and difficulties the refugees faced when settling in Palaia Fokaia and recalls his rapprochement trips to Turkey, as ex-Mayor of Palaia Fokaia.

Lygeri & Dina Bolka

The Bolka sisters recall stories from 1914, the Greco-Turkish war of 1922, and how –armed with their grandparents’ memories– they wanted to visit the place they still call “home”.

Nicos Deligiannis

Nicos remembers the harmonious coexistence between Greeks and Turks in Old Phocaea, how he visited his grandmother’s old homeland, and how they were received by the local Turks with open arms.

Kleanthi Antonatou

Kleanthi speaks of her family’s story between 1914 and their settling in Palaia Fokaia, the trials they faced, and how Turks received them with unexpected warmth once they visited their parents’ old homeland.

Τhe Fokaia/Foça Photos

Greek Phocaeans and Turkish Foçalıs have visited each others' towns many times now. Here's a photo gallery of some of their visits.

Frank's Box

Frank Geraotis was a Phocean migrant to the U.S.A. He left a box of photographs which you can explore.