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Izmir researcher claims Homer composed epics in Turkish cave
Turkish researcher Altan Altin is reviving the debate over the origins of the ancient poet Homer, suggesting that the epic poems “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” were composed in a cave near Bornova, outside Izmir. Altin, who recently published a book on the subject, argues that the cave in what is locally known as “Homer’s Valley” is the site where the works were penned.
Altin supports his thesis by citing a 3rd-century BC frieze that he believes depicts the cave with striking precision, as well as historical accounts from the 2nd-century Greek geographer Pausanias, who mentioned a grotto near the Meles River. While other locations, such as the Greek island of Chios, also claim Homeric origins, Altin maintains that the poet is fundamentally from Ionia, a region that includes both ancient Smyrna (modern-day Izmir) and Chios.
The renewed interest in the poet follows the global box office success of Christopher Nolan’s film “The Odyssey.” Local authorities in the Izmir region are looking to leverage this cultural interest to promote tourism in the area.
Entities
Altan Altin · Bornova · Christopher Nolan · Homer · Pausanias · İzmir
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] A 3rd-century BC bas-relief depicting the divinization of Homer may accurately represent the Bornova cave landscape. www.aktual24.ro · newsweek.ro · www.stiripesurse.ro
- [● 3 SOURCES] Researcher Altan Altin claims Homer composed the Odyssey in a cave in Bornova, Izmir. www.aktual24.ro · newsweek.ro · www.stiripesurse.ro
- [● 3 SOURCES] Local authorities in Izmir aim to develop the site into a tourist attraction. www.aktual24.ro · newsweek.ro · www.stiripesurse.ro
- [● 3 SOURCES] The 2nd-century Greek geographer Pausanias recorded that Homer composed poems near the Meles river in Smyrna. www.aktual24.ro · newsweek.ro · www.stiripesurse.ro