Homer cave in Turkey eyes tourists after Odyssey film

A cave on a hillside outside Izmir in western Turkey is drawing fresh attention from people who say it may be linked to Homer, although nobody knows where the ancient poet composed "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey".

The cave, in an area known locally as Homer's Valley near Bornova, has long been presented by residents as a place associated with the poet. Turkish researcher Altan Altin, who has written a book on the subject, said travellers have visited the cave for generations because Homer was said to have composed his poems there.

The debate has gained new public interest alongside Christopher Nolan's film "The Odyssey". Bornova Mayor Omer Eski said the town plans to refurbish the cave and open it to visitors as part of an effort to promote Homer's legacy and attract tourists.

Homer has long been associated with the Izmir region, known in antiquity as Smyrna. The 2nd-century Greek chronicler and geographer Pausanias wrote that Smyrna had the river Meles and a grotto where people said Homer composed his poems.

Altin argues that Homer came from Bornova or the wider Ionian region. He said a 3rd-century BC frieze showing the deification of Homer reproduces details of the Bornova cave. Archaeologist Mehmet Akif Erdem said coins bearing Homer's likeness and the language of the poems suggest ancient Smyrna and Bornova could be among Homer's native lands.

Other places, including the Greek island of Chios, also claim links to Homer. The exact location of his birth and the place where he composed his poems remain unresolved.