Christopher Nolan’s new film The Odyssey appears poised to increase the global recognition and visitor numbers of the ancient city of Troy. Prof. Dr. Rüstem Aslan, head of the Troy Ancient City Excavation Committee, said the film, which tells the journey of Ithaca’s King Odysseus returning home after the Trojan War, will greatly support the promotion of the region.
Aslan, noting that the Troy Exhibition opened in June at the Colosseum in Rome in cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Italy’s Ministry of Culture has increased international interest, said this interest will be further strengthened by Nolan’s film. He stated that the exhibition is one of the most comprehensive Troy exhibitions in recent years, and that it also features artifacts from Anatolian civilizations linked to Troy, which will contribute to regional tourism in the long term.
Reminding that the 2004 film ‘Troy’ also boosted interest in Troy, Prof. Dr. Aslan said, ‘We can certainly say that this film will greatly contribute to Troy tourism and interest in Troy.’ Aslan noted that he watched the film at a special screening in Çanakkale and that Nolan, who largely adhered to Homer’s epic, reinterpreted Odysseus’s return journey with a contemporary cinematic language.
High expectations from tourism sector
Nilgün Gökser, president of the Çanakkale Touristic Hoteliers, Operators and Investors Association (ÇATOD), emphasized that the ancient city of Troy, which receives an average of 400,000 visitors annually, is not only a historical heritage but also a strong international cultural and tourism brand.
Gökser underlined that ‘The Odyssey’ film presents a significant opportunity to showcase Çanakkale’s thousands of years of history, cultural richness and tourism potential to the world. To transform this opportunity into a lasting destination value, Gökser said that public institutions, local governments, professional organizations and the tourism sector must act in coordination, and added: ‘Today, the world is talking about the Odyssey. We aim to channel this global interest toward Troy, toward Troy’s ancient homeland Çanakkale and toward the cultural riches of this unique geography.’
