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On a Turkish hillside near Izmir, a cave known to locals as Homer's Valley is generating renewed interest as a potential site where the ancient Greek poet Homer composed his epic "The Odyssey." This claim is supported by Turkish researcher Altan Altin, who has written a book on the subject and believes a 3rd-century BC frieze provides compelling evidence.

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This place was always called Homer's Valley by the locals. Travelers from all over the world would come and see the cave where Homer is said to have composed his poems.

Altin points to a bas-relief depicting the deification of Homer, which he asserts reproduces the Bornova cave with "remarkable precision." He argues that while the frieze was known, its identical details to those found in Homer's cave had not been previously noticed, offering the first detailed geographical description linking the site to the poet. "For me, there's no doubt, Homer is from Bornova. In any case, he is from Ionia, which includes Smyrna and Chios. He's from these lands," Altin told AFP.

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For me, there's no doubt, Homer is from Bornova. In any case, he is from Ionia, which includes Smyrna and Chios. He's from these lands.

Archaeological findings in the area further bolster the connection. Discoveries, including coins bearing Homer's likeness, suggest that inhabitants of ancient Smyrna, the historical name for the Izmir region, considered the poet one of their own. Archaeologist Mehmet Akif Erdem noted that "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" were written in the Ionic and Aeolic dialects, which aligns with the possibility of ancient Smyrna and Bornova being among Homer's native lands.

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The Smyrnaeans have the river Meles, with its lovely water, and at its springs is the grotto, where they say Homer composed his poems.

Despite the academic debate and claims from other locations, such as the Greek island of Chios, the Izmir region maintains a strong association with Homer. The area, historically known as ancient Smyrna, is mentioned by the 2nd-century Greek chronicler Pausanias, who wrote of the "grotto" at the springs of the river Meles where Homer is said to have composed his poems. This centuries-long debate continues, now fueled in part by modern interest in adaptations of Homer's works.

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This bas-relief was already known, but no one had ever noticed the identical details to those found in Homer's cave. This is the first time such a detailed geographical description came to light.