Hollywood’s ‘Odyssey’ Sparks Fresh Interest in Turkey’s Claim of Homer’s Birthplace

Situated on the olive‑covered hillsides beyond Izmir, a damp cave in the Bornova Valley has long been regarded as a sacred site in local tradition.

Local tradition holds that this very cavern was where the ancient poet Homer composed his epic, the Odyssey.

With Christopher Nolan’s recent film adaptation of The Odyssey achieving major critical acclaim and box‑office success, renewed worldwide interest has revived the longstanding question of where the foundational work was originally composed.

Turkish archaeologist Professor Aylin Ümit Erdem of Ege University sees the current cinematic surge as a valuable chance to re‑evaluate the historical, linguistic, and archaeological links between Homer and ancient Smyrna, now İzmir.

“When we assess Homer, we are referring to the traditionally accepted author of both the Iliad and the Odyssey,” Professor Erdem said in an exclusive Euronews interview. “Scholars have long debated how an 8th‑century BC poet could portray the Trojan War — an event that took place roughly 400 years prior — with such vivid detail and profound tragedy. Some attribute this to a continuous oral tradition spanning four centuries, while others see the epics as a collection of material contributed by multiple bards.”

Despite ongoing authorship debates, Professor Erdem stresses that ancient sources overwhelmingly indicate Izmir.

“From the 5th‑century BC historian Herodotus to the 1st‑century BC geographer Strabo, ancient writers explicitly claimed Homer hailed from Smyrna. While alternatives such as Chios or Cyme were suggested, Smyrna has remained the most compelling contender since antiquity.”

The Smyrna connection

Professor Erdem argues that the main scientific evidence linking Homer to Izmir derives from the linguistic features of the texts and the urban geography of the 8th‑century BC.

“The epics were primarily composed in the Ionic dialect, yet they contain considerable Aeolic vocabulary and archaic Greek terms,” Professor Erdem told Euronews. “Geographically, 8th‑century BC Smyrna — situated at Bayraklı Höyük — lay on the boundary between the Aeolian region to the north and the Ionian region to the south. Founded as an Aeolian settlement, Bayraklı later joined the Ionian League, so a bard composing there would naturally incorporate this distinctive dialectal blend.”

Moreover, Erdem points out that Bayraklı Höyük was the sole active, fortified urban center in the İzmir basin during the 8th century BC, making it the most plausible historical setting for Homer’s life.

Nevertheless, Professor Erdem maintains rigorous scientific caution, drawing a clear distinction between later reverence and direct 8th‑century BC evidence.

“We must be clear: there is currently no direct, concrete archaeological evidence proving that Homer lived or wrote in Smyrna,” Professor Erdem emphasized to Euronews. “No direct 8th‑century BC artifacts bearing Homer’s name have been uncovered at Bayraklı, largely because the deep early strata have not yet been fully exposed through extensive excavation.”

Professor Erdem notes that later artifacts — such as Hellenistic coins minted in Smyrna featuring Homer’s portrait, or the seated cult statue discovered at the nearby sanctuary of Klaros — illustrate how later generations claimed Homer as their own, rather than offering proof from his own lifetime.

“Continued archaeological excavations, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and local authorities, are essential,” Professor Erdem added. “Should a direct finding related to Homer ever emerge, it will result from deeper digging into these layers.”

Although academic certainty awaits definitive excavation results, local enthusiasm in Izmir has surged, sustained by centuries of folklore.

Along the hillsides beyond the city, a damp cavern in the Bornova Valley has long been revered by locals as the place where Homer composed his masterpieces. Ancient texts often referred to the poet as Melesigenes — ‘born of the Meles’ — alluding to the river that runs beside Bayraklı.

“Preserving Homer’s legacy is a duty we owe to humanity,” Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki told AFP, outlining municipal plans to restore the cavern for international cultural tourists. “The stories he tells belong to this landscape.”

“‘This place has always been called Homer’s Valley. For me, there is no doubt he is from these lands,’ Turkish researcher Altan Altın told AFP, noting that the poet’s legacy bridges regional histories. ‘Homer is 2,800 years old, while modern borders are only a century old. Homer is Greek. Homer is Anatolian.’”

Archaeologists such as Mehmet Akif Erdem have observed that coins and statues indicate ancient residents regarded Homer as their own. Nevertheless, as Professor Erdem stresses for Euronews, while historical and linguistic evidence consistently points to ancient Smyrna, the ultimate physical proof remains buried beneath the earth.

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