First ‘Homer Reading’ event for visually impaired organized in Troy

ÇANAKKALE

The 20th anniversary since the addition of the ancient city of Troy on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List has been declared as the “Year of Troy.” 

The Çanakkale Governor’s Office hosted an event on Aug. 14-17, which emphasized world peace, in memory of Homer, the blind poet who wrote the epic of the ancient city. 

Two hundred visually impaired people from 15 countries including Germany, the United States, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canada, Iraq, Japan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Kosovo, Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia and New Zealand as well as Turkey gathered in Troy to read chapters from “The Iliad” about the Trojan legend, which is indicated among one of the most prominent works in world literature by Homer. 

In 2018, the northwestern province of Çanakkale is the center where the world meets for international collaborations and cultural, artistic, scientific and sports activities due to the Year of Troy. 

Blind visitors, who gathered in the ancient city of Troy, read chapters from “The Iliad,” which consists of 24 chapters and 15,000 lines in total. 

The event was realized with the contributions of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the Çanakkale Governor’s Office, Çanakkale 18 March University (COMU), Southern Marmara Development Agency (GMKA), Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSIAD), Turkish Blind Association (TURGED), GESTAŞ Sea Transportation and IÇDAŞ Steel Works. 

Çanakkale Governor Orhan Tavlı, World Blind Union President Friedrich Schröder, Turkish Blind Federation President Turhan İçli, Çanakkale Provincial Culture and Tourism Manager Kemal Dokuz, head of Troy excavations and COMU Professor Rüstem Aslan, Turkish Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired Çanakkale Office head İbrahim Batdal, as well as visually impaired visitors and many citizens participated in the event. 

Blind artist Eşref Armağan’s paintings were displayed on the gala night, which took place following the inauguration of the event. 

Following the panel on “Homer’s Readings,” blind visitors and authorities had the opportunity to pay a visit to ancient city of Troy, the Çanakkale city center and the Gallipoli Martyrs’ Memorial. 

The event closed with a concert performed by Muammer Ketencoğlu.