Troy, Greek Troia, also called Ilios or Ilion, Latin Troia, Troja, or Ilium, ancient city in northwestern Anatolia that holds an enduring place in both literature and archaeology. The legend of the Trojan War is the most notable theme from ancient Greek literature and forms the basis of Homer’s Iliad. Although the actual nature and size of the historical settlement remain matters of scholarly debate, the ruins of Troy at Hisarlık, Turkey, are a key archaeological site whose many layers illustrate the gradual development of civilization in northwestern Asia Minor.
Geography
Ancient Troy commanded a strategic point at the southern entrance to the Dardanelles (Hellespont), a narrow strait linking the Black Sea with the Aegean Sea via the Sea of Marmara. The city also commanded a land route that ran north along the west Anatolian coast and crossed the narrowest point of the Dardanelles to the European shore. In theory, Troy would have been able to use its site astride these two lines of communication to exact tolls from trading vessels and other travelers using them; the actual extent to which this took place, however, remains unclear.
The Troad (Greek Troias; “Land of Troy”) is the district formed by the northwestern projection of Asia Minor into the Aegean Sea. The present-day ruins of Troy itself occupy the western end of a low descending ridge in the extreme northwest corner of the Troad. Less than 4 miles (6 km) to the west, across the plain of the Scamander (Küçük Menderes) River, is the Aegean Sea, and toward the north are the narrows of the Dardanelles.
Archaeology
The search for Troy at Hisarlık
The approximate location of Troy was well known from references in works by ancient Greek and Latin authors. But the exact site of the city remained unidentified until modern times. A large mound, known locally as Hisarlık, had long been understood to hold the ruins of a city named Ilion or Ilium that had flourished in Hellenistic and Roman times. In 1822 Charles Maclaren suggested that this was the site of Homeric Troy, but for the next 50 years his suggestion received little attention from Classical scholars, most of whom regarded the Trojan legend as a mere fictional creation based on myth, not history. The German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann deserves full credit for adopting Maclaren’s identification and demonstrating to the world that it was correct. In seven major and two minor campaigns between 1870 and 1890, Schliemann conducted excavations on a large scale mainly in the central area of the Hisarlık mound, where he exposed the remains of a walled citadel. After Schliemann’s death in 1890, the excavations were continued (1893–94) by his colleague Wilhelm Dörpfeld and later (1932–38) by an expedition from the University of Cincinnati headed by Carl W. Blegen. After a lapse of some 50 years, excavations resumed (1988–2005) under the leadership of University of Tübingen archaeologist Manfred Korfmann and continued after his death.
Questions of Troy’s physical size, population, and stature as a trade entrepôt and regional power became subjects of intense scholarly dispute following the resumption of excavations at Hisarlık in the late 1980s. Although Homeric Troy was described as a wealthy and populous city, by this time some scholars had come to accept the probability of a lesser Troy a relatively minor settlement, perhaps a princely seat. Beginning in 1988, Korfmann’s team investigated the terrain surrounding the citadel site in search of wider settlement. Korfmann’s findings at Hisarlık, drawn from geomagnetic surveying and isolated excavations, led him to conclude in favour of a greater Troy that is, a settlement of some size and prosperity. His presentation of this perspective in a 2001 exhibition, accompanied by a controversial model reconstruction of the city, sparked especially intense scholarly debate over the city’s true nature.
Trojan War
Helen of Troy
Troy,
The research and the archealogical digs here seem to verify that this was the place where the great battles took place as the location is central and the findings significant.
Its unbelievably great experience to see the place in real. With great historical myths and truths lying on , this old city is one of the best place to visit.
We went because my boys are excited about the Trojan War. We went to Sparta, where there is nothing to see, so of course we would go to Troy.
To get a meaningful experience you should prepare (read, watch a video) before you go because the ruins do not transport you back to he Trojan War. The signs are useful….
The tour seemed to get off to a slow start, but once we hit the town ruins, it got very interesting. The highlights for me were the views and the sacrificial ruins.
I have to admit, I've never had an interest in Troy, but if you have at least a passing interest, I absolutely recommend it.
I was very disappointed with Troy. May be I expected too much. Hopefully after 3 years or more they will dig up more and make the place more interesting like Ephesus.
Yes, there isn't much left, but it's a must see for anyone interested in the classics and Homer. In addition to the ruins of lots of walls, there are some very interesting places on this site where you can see the different layers of settlements uncovered by archaeologists, including one layer showing destruction by fire. The river has silted up…
Witness the 5000 yrs of Troy history. I was pretty angry and dissatisfied on how the German business excavated the city of troy when first found it. The whole digging for treasure mixed up all the cities. Troy's ancient walls and the different layers of the successive cities built upon the predecessor were still great to explore and enjoyable
There…
This site has very little worthwhile visiting. The walls are OK to wander around, as is the site showing the 7 different levels (timespans) for the city of Troy. Otherwise there is nothing here except a wooden horse you can climb on. The wooden horse from the movie Troy is actually beside the waterfront in Canakkale but you can't climb…
The idea of visiting Troy, scene of the famous battle of Troy and the Trojian Horse is attractive. But of course this is a very old city and is no where near as well preserved as Ephesus or Pergamon. I would still recommend going, especially if, like us you're working your way down the west coast of Turkey seeing all…
It took us about 4 hours drive from Istanbul to Troy by car. When we reached the site, we can see the horse immediately. I have to say I am not that impressed by the horse. It is not too big and it is located right in front of the entrance so you do not get the whole ancient ambiance….