To Rome! Aeneas to Set Sail Again

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 26 July 2017)


                   Everything old is new again...


According to a report in Aktuel Arkeoloji magazine's 58th
issue,  the ships of Aeneas, the legendary founder of Rome, will
be constructed anew at Antandros port in the Gulf of Edremit
and take the same route to Rome.

In May there was a conference in Edremit district of Balıkesir
province attended by five nations' mayors, ambassadors, archeologists,
tour operators and many academicians and professionals from various
fields.  The conference's title was "The International Aeneas Route
Project" and it was organized by the Edremit District Chief's Office,
Edremit Municipality and the Antandros Association.

In the scope of the project, which is based on the 'Aeneas Epic'
written by Roman author Publius Vergilius Maro (Virgil) in the
first century B.C., Edremit's ancient cultural heritage will be shared
with the entire world.  This epic is well known in Europe, in particular.
During his voyage, which began at Antandros port, Aeneas visited 21
ports in 5 countries - Turkey, Greece, Albania, Italy and Tunus - until
he reached Lavinium in Italy.

  
Aeneas's sea route from Antandros to Lavinium.

In addition to publicizing the age old link between the five
countries involved, the project also seeks to draw attention
to modern migrants by making reference to Aeneas's forced
expulsion from his native country.  At the conclusion of the
May conference, the boat 'İda' was set to sea, watched by
Turkish and foreign guests.  Prof. Dr. Gürcan Polat stated
that the first steps of the project will begin in 2018, coinciding
with the "Year of Troy".