An Emporia was a place which the traders of one nation had reserved to their business interests within the territory of another nation. Famous emporia include Sais where Solon went to acquire the knowledge of Egypt, Elim where Hatshepsut kept her Red Sea fleet. Elat, where Thebes was supplied with the mortuary materials, Linen, Bitumen, Naphtha, Frankincense, Myrrh, and carved stone amululets from Palestine, Canaan, Aram, Lebanon, Amon, Hazor, Moab, Edom and the Arabian Peninsula from the Arabia Petra to Midian and Punt.

Emporia functioned much like European trading colonies in China.

In Ancient Greek it refers both to the various Phoenician city-states and trade outposts in Northern Africa, Spain, Britain, and the Arabian peninsula. Included in this term are cities like Gadges, Carthage, Lepcis Magna, and Cyrene among others (although Cyrene was founded by Greeks).

Emporia is also a Latin plural noun meaning places of trade, markets, etc.

References

• Septimius Severus; The African Emperor, Anthony R. Birley, pgs. 1-7