The picturesque Alatsata (now Alaçati) is on the west side of the Erythrae peninsula and in a distance of 50 kilometres west of Smyrna. Its name derives from the word “ἅλας” (alas meaning salt) and it is related to the salt pans, which are formed in the Agrilia Gulf, south of the village.
The history of Alatsata began in the middle of the 17th century, when Greeks from Chios came to the area, in order to work as servants to Turkish landowners. Initially, there were two settlements, the “Upper Village” and the “Lower Village”.