1. Religious history – administration

Phokaia was a bishopric of the province of Asia, subordinated to the metropolis of Ephesus. In the notitiae episcopatuum(lists of ecclesiastical dioceses) ranked 13^th or 14^th among the bishoprics that were subordinated to Ephesus (out of 37 or 39 bishoprics in total). At the end of the 9^th or the beginnings of the 10^th century, the seat of Phokaia was detached from the metropolis of Ephesus and became a suffragan of the new metropolis of Smyrna. Only in the Notitia no. 13 is in the third position (12^th century). In the sources the bishopric is called bishopric of old (palaia) Phokaia or bishopric of Phokaia.

Bishops of Phokaia participated in the Ecumenical Councils of Ephesus (Third), of Chalcedon (Fourth), of Constantinople (Quinisext or in Trullo) and of Nicaea (Seventh). On the whole, eight bishops are known from their signatures in the acts and their seals.

2. The bishopric of Phocaia in the 14th century

In 1347, because of the troubles being brought with the Ottoman presence, the administration of the metropolis of Smyrna was ceded to the metropolis of Philadelphia. Phokaia is particularly mentioned in the relevant patriarchal document, by which the metropolitan of Philadelphia obtained all the sacerdotal rights (of religious service, of ordination, of representation of patriarchal exarchate’s rights).¹ In an act of the council, which is dated to 1354, the jurisdiction of the metropolis of Philadelphia over the bishopric of Phokaia is confirmed.² Nevertheless, by the year 1364 Phokaia had already been detached from the metropolis of Philadelphia and had been assigned anew to the metropolis of Smyrna. Notably, near Phokaia there was the old monastery of Kroitzos, where the metropolitan of Smyrna could reside according to a decision of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In 1387 the permanent council of Constantinople discerned that, given the new demographic records of the expanded settlement, there were two bishoprics, the old (palaia) and the new Phokaia, and it decided that the old (palaia) Phokaia would be devolved on the jurisdiction of the metropolitan of Smyrna, whereas the new Phokaia on the jurisdiction of the metropolitan of Ephesus.