The Hippoi, a reconstructed ancient ship decorated with a horse’s head figure on the bow, has embarked on a symbolic voyage to travel the sea routes described in the ‘Odyssey’, the epic poem written by Homer, as part of a project called ‘Journey into history in the footsteps of Homer’ launched by a Turkish association dedicated to historical research, that aims to recover ancient maritime traditions.
According to Turkish media reports, the launching of the ship took place a few days ago during an event held off the coast of Urla, west of the city of Izmir, from where the ship set sail on 30 August. Following ancient seafaring techniques, the Hippoi was built without nails, using only wooden pegs and mortise and tenon joints – the same construction techniques used thousands of years ago.
Sidar Duman, one of the members of the association responsible for the project, emphasised the indelible legacy of Homer that has inspired this initiative: “Homer put an end to a dark age when writing was forgotten, and chaos ruled the Mediterranean… On 30 August, weather permitting, we will try to follow a journey similar to the one Homer might have made. He was born in Izmir, lived some 400 years after the Trojan War, listening to these stories as oral epics. Perhaps he embarked on a ship like this from Urla and sailed along the same coasts we will visit”.
The captain of the Hippoi, Serim Paker, explained that the voyage will follow the ancient methods of navigation: “We will follow the sea and the winds, updating our course as we go. Our first stop will be Foça, then Ayvalık and then the island of Bozcaada, before returning south”.
In this way, the Hippoi’s adventure will not only be a tribute to the legendary voyage recounted by Homer in the ‘Odyssey’, which narrates the Greek hero Odysseus (Ulysses in Latin) returns home after the Trojan War; it also aims to allow new generations to rediscover the sea and the adventure of sailing through the eyes of history. “With this ship, by following in Homer’s footsteps, we are also witnessing how the richness of our maritime history comes to light. I hope that this voyage will also serve to reflect our culture of coexistence, which is one of the most valuable legacies that our culture and history have left us,” said Deputy Mayor of Urla, Dinçer Gözmen, speaking about the project.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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