On a hillside outside Smyrna, in what is now western Turkey, lies a cave that generations of locals have known as the place where Homer is said to have composed the Odyssey.
A place long known as "Homer's Valley"
"This place has always been called Homer's Valley by the locals. Travellers from all over the world used to come and see the cave where Homer is said to have composed his poems," said Turkish researcher Altan Altın, who has written a book on the subject.
In reality, no one knows for certain where Homer wrote his epics, and the cave itself is surrounded by numerous legends. Interest in the debate has recently intensified, following the release of Christopher Nolan's film The Odyssey.
A connection dating to antiquity
The epic poet has been linked to the Smyrna region since ancient times. "The people of Smyrna have the river Meles, with its beautiful waters, and at its source is the cave where they say Homer composed his poems," wrote the 2nd-century Greek chronicler and geographer Pausanias. His words have fed a debate, one that continues to this day, over the details of Homer's life and the location of the river where the poet is believed to have been born, in the 8th century BC.
"Remarkable precision"
Visiting the cave, which is filled with rocks, is not straightforward. Greek inscriptions are carved into its walls, though it remains unclear how old they are. While other locations, chiefly the island of Chios, also claim Homer's origin, ancient Smyrna and its hinterland, where the town of Bornova now stands, remain closely associated with the poet.
"For me, there is no doubt, Homer is from Bornova. In any case, he is from Ionia, which includes Smyrna and Chios. He is from these lands," Altın told AFP.
To support his theory, Altın pointed to a 3rd-century BC relief depicting the apotheosis of Homer, which he says represents the Bornova cave with remarkable precision. "This relief was already known, but no one had ever noticed the identical details found in Homer's cave. This is the first time such a detailed geographical description has come to light," he said.
Archaeological clues
Archaeological finds from the area also suggest a connection to Homer. "The findings from the excavations, especially coins bearing a resemblance to Homer, show us that the inhabitants of ancient Smyrna considered the poet their own," said archaeologist Mehmet Akif Erdem. "The Iliad and the Odyssey were written in the ancient Greek dialects of Ionia and Aeolia, suggesting that ancient Smyrna and Bornova could be among Homer's homelands," he said.
Homer, everywhere in Bornova
Beyond the academic debate over his origin, Homer's presence is felt throughout Bornova. At Yeşilova Höyük, a Neolithic site considered the oldest known prehistoric settlement in Smyrna, a statue of Homer stands with the inscription: "I composed the epics Iliad and Odyssey on this land. I lived in Bornova."
The town, which already hosts a book fair dedicated to Homer and has a statue of the Trojan War hero Hector in a local park, plans to renovate the cave and open it to visitors, hoping to capitalise on the renewed interest in the ancient poet.
A contested legacy
"Preserving Homer's legacy is a duty we owe to humanity. He is one of the founders of literature," said the Mayor of Bornova, Ömer Eski, to AFP. "The stories he tells belong to this land. The question isn't whether we should claim Homer or not. His story is also ours," he said.
Not everyone shares his view, however. In 2024, municipal officials from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling AKP proposed renaming Homer's Valley after a Turkish fighter, arguing that the site should not carry a Greek name.
"Erasing Homer's name would be one of the worst things we could do to Bornova," the mayor countered, saying his goal is to "make Homer known throughout the world as a man from Bornova" and to turn the town into a tourist attraction.
Source: AFP
