KULTURA / CULTURE
F amous ancient geographer Eratosthenes quipped, back in the 3 rd century BC, “You will find the scene of the wan- derings of Odysseus when you find the cobbler who sewed up the bag of the winds. And yet, regardless of where the mythical border between imagination and reality was actually located, Christo- pher Nolan’s Odyssey reminds us that the locations from this epic aren’t merely his- torical testimonies, but also living, vibrant destinations that continue to offer unfor- gettable experiences to this day. So, pack your bags and get ready, because many of these enchanting places are just a stone’s A MODERN ODYSSEY Following Homer with Nolan Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster, which stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, has reawakened fascination with one of literary history’s oldest adventurous journeys
throw away from destinations served by Air Serbia’s direct flights. If we compile a map of mythical and real locations, Od- ysseus’s route becomes the ultimate in- spiration for a summer holiday that’s re- ally worth every kilometre. TROY (TURKEY) Where it all began MYTH: After ten gruelling years of war between the Greeks and the Trojans (which followed Trojan prince Paris’s swip- ing of the beautiful Helen), the Greeks remained unable to penetrate the walls of Troy. It was then that Odysseus came up with an ingenious trick: they built a
huge wooden horse and hid warriors in- side, while the rest of the army retreat- ed. The Trojans dragged the horse into the city as a trophy and celebrated victo- ry, only for Greeks to emerge in the mid- dle of the night and open the gates, ena- bling the razing of the city. INTERESTING FACT: When German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann began excavations at the Hisarlik mound in the 19 th century, Homer’s Iliad literally served as his map. Everyone laughed at him, un- til he actually found the walls of the ru- ined city. Interestingly, the site includes nine layers of cities built one on top of the other, while Homer’s Troy is most likely the “Troy VIIa” layer. TODAY: Hisarlik is today a fascinat- ing archaeological site that’s under UNE- SCO protection and includes an impres- sive museum. Standing at the entrance is a huge modern replica of the Trojan horse that you can enter. HOW TO GET THERE: The easiest way to reach this historical treasure is via Izmir or Istanbul, both cities served by the Serbian airline, and from there you can organise a great excursion through Turkish history. ISMAROS (GREECE) A lesson on hangovers MYTH: Immediately after leaving Troy, instead of wisely sailing home, Odysseus’s men decided to raid the city of Ismaros, which was allied with Troy. Following their swift victory, Odysseus ordered an immediate retreat, but his men refused after finding a huge sup-
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