The Odyssey movie, directed by Christopher Nolan, created a new dynamism not only in the world of cinema but also in the tourism industry.
New travel routes have begun to be created in the Mediterranean for those who want to follow the traces of the epic written by Homer thousands of years ago.
While the destinations in different countries where the film was shot were included in the touristic routes, the places where the events described by Homer are thought to have taken place have also come to the fore again.
TRACES OF THE EPIC START FROM ITHAKA
One of the most notable stops on this route is the Island of Ithaca in Greece, known as the homeland of Odysseus.
There is no definitive archaeological evidence that Odysseus or his wife Penelope ever lived on the island. However, the palace complex, located on a hill overlooking the sea and dating back to the 13th century BC, keeps alive the debates about the island's connection with the period in which the epic takes place.
HISTORY AND MYTHOLOGY ARE INTERESTED IN TROY
The stop of the route in Turkey is Troy in Çanakkale.
The ancient city, which bears the traces of different civilizations, is among the most important archaeological sites in Anatolia with a history of approximately 5 thousand years. Although there are archaeological findings related to wars in the region, there is no definitive data proving that these are the Trojan War described by Homer.
The Troy Museum, right near the ancient city, also hosts many artifacts unearthed from the region. The Trojan Horse replica, which visitors can enter, stands out as one of the most well-known symbols of the epic.
Djerba as the island of the lotus eaters
The Lotus Eaters that Odysseus encountered in the North African part of his journey are also one of the stops of the route.
In Homer's narrative, Odysseus' men, who eat the lotus fruit, lose their desire to return home. While the exact place where the community lived is not specified in the epic, Djerba Island off the coast of Tunisia is among the possible regions associated with this story.
FROM SIREN ROCKS TO THE STRAIT OF MESSINA
The Sirens encountered by Odysseus are also among the mythological stops of the route. Although it is not known exactly where the Sirens live, impressing sailors with their enchanting songs, Sardinia Island in Italy is considered among the possible locations.
In Sardinia, this mythological connection has also been transformed into tourist experiences. Sculptures and diving routes associated with Sirens and maritime mythology are offered to visitors at different points of the island.
Another stop is the Strait of Messina between Sicily and mainland Italy.
It is thought that Charybdis and Scylla, which Odysseus encountered in Homer's epic, may have emerged in connection with the strong currents and dangerous rocks in this region. Although the reality of the mythological narrative has not been proven, the Strait of Messina is considered a possible geographical counterpart to these stories.
LAST STOP GOZO
One of the last stops of the route is Gozo Island, affiliated with Malta.
It is suggested that Ogygia Island, where Odysseus took refuge after his ship was destroyed by Zeus and stayed for years with the sea nymph Calypso, may be Gozo. This view has not been definitively proven, but the fact that Gozo was an island known to the Greek world in ancient times paves the way for the island to be associated with Ogygia.
Thus, the Homeric epic, which came to the fore again with Nolan's Odyssey, comes to life not only on the cinema screen, but also on a tourism route along the Mediterranean.
This route, where history and mythology are intertwined, offers visitors the opportunity to search for traces of the Odysseus story told thousands of years ago in today's geography.
