Troy Ancient City in Turkey is located on Hisarlık Hill to the west of Tevfikiye Village, 30 km from Çanakkale city of Turkey. In fact, it is stated by experts that the correct discourse of this city, which is thought to be called Troy because of its French pronunciation, is Troya. A model of the famous Trojan Horse, which rises with great majesty at the entrance of the city and was interpreted by a Turkish artist in 1975, is the subject of mythology and greets Troy’s visitors.
Troy in Iliad
The Ionian poet Homer, who is thought to have lived in the around 9th century BC, describes the war between the Akhas from the mainland of Greece and the local Trojans in the Iliad Epic. The epic, which started as a result of Paris, the son of the King of Troy, fell in love with the wife of the King of Akhas, Helen of Sparta. Paris kidnapped Helen to Troy and caused the legendary Trojan war which lasted for ten years. Iliad is one of the oldest written literary texts. Nevertheless, when it comes to facts, one should not perceive Greek myths as if they were history, but enjoy the legends, but ultimately talk about data-based evidence.
Read more about Legend of Troy
The Akhas fought their war against the Trojans. They build a huge wooden horse thanks to the suggestion of Odysseus, the famous king of the Ithaca. Akhas placed their soldiers in it and left the wooden horse in front of the walls of Troy. The Trojans thought the horse is sacred and took it into the city. In the middle of the night, the Akha soldiers came out of the horse in what they were hiding and destroyed Troy, returning to Greece with Helen. Trojans, on the other hand, continue their lives by rebuilding their destroyed cities.
Why was Troy Important?
Troy Ancient City in Turkey today once was a port city when it was first established. However, it is known that the sea was silted due to the alluviums carried by the Karamenderes and Dürmek streams for years and the city gradually lost its importance by moving away from the sea. Troy’s location today is 6 km from the Aegean Sea and 4.5 km from the Dardanelles shore.
Troy’s Past Settlements
The earliest settlement in Troy dates back to the 3,000 BC. This early settlement which started in the Early Bronze Age ends during the Roman era. In other words, Troy Ancient City in Turkey is one of the most important ancient cities in the world with a history stretching 5,000 years.
Excavations in Troy
The first excavations in Troy were carried out by German merchant and archaeologist Heindirch Schliemann in the 1870s, in line with the permission obtained from the Ottoman Empire. Many artifacts unearthed during excavations were taken abroad together with the Treasure of Troy at that time. Most of these works are transported by Schliemann first to Greece and then to Germany. During the Second World War, most of them were taken as booty by Russia and taken to Moscow. Especially those who want to see the Treasure of Troy Ancient City in Turkey today should visit the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, Russia.
Read more about Heinrich Schliemann and Treasures of Troy
Layers of Troy
There are 10 uninterrupted city layers in the Troy Ancient City in Turkey settlement. Each layer clearly indicated by numbers all over the excavation area belongs to a certain time period in the city’s past. This shows that the region has been destroyed and rebuilt many times, especially by earthquakes. In other words, this unique geography has been the cradle of many civilizations throughout history.
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Due to the use of adobe in the construction of the houses, the layers accumulated over time and formed an artificial hill. Approximately 50 different building phases have been identified during long-standing excavations.
Troy Museum
The strikingly rising cube-shaped museum building was opened to visitors in 2018 and Troy Ancient City in Turkey is kept alive here with all its details. Approximately 2,000 pieces are exhibited in an area of 3,000 square meters inside the museum. Visitors arriving to the museum travel through time seeing every layer of Troy.
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Trojan Horse
The legend of the Trojan horse is a very popular and beautiful story, it has been a source of pride for the Greek people through ages. Legend has it that the Achaeans (also known as Achaeans) besieged the city of Troy, which we now know as Truva in Turkey, for 9 years, but despite all their efforts, they could not manage to occupy the city.
After many trials, Commander Odysseus puts a successful and clever plan on the table. This idea was a wooden horse with Greek soldiers hiding in it. As a result of this clever idea, the city is taken over.
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Tour Guide to Troy
Troy fascinated its visitors with its amazing legend and deep history. I would like to show you all the hidden details of Troy Ancient City in Turkey. Contact me to learn more on Troy and to book a professional licensed Turkish tour guide to Troy ancient city. See you soon, Hasan Gülday.
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