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,
We took a guided tour from Istanbul to troy. The journey was long so you leave early in the morning by coach and get back to Istanbul by around 9 ish at night. The tour included the coach fare and one meal along with a guide. Since it was a guided tour it was very informative we all have heard/read/seen…
A site in ruins and escavations everywhere. O could not have imagine there were actually 9 Troys, one built on the top of the previously destroyed one. Intwresting to know that whenever they digged and found sth they had to stop and study the rocks to identify which Troy that was. They luckily found the very first one at random….
We travelled from Istanbul direct to Troia with RSL Tours & Eceabat Hotel. The day began at 06.00 and ended at 23.00. The tour was professionally organised with breakfast and lunch included. The amount of time spent at the archeological site of Troia is enough to consider all the specifics and to get a feel of the topography (the Gallipoli…
Those who want to feel the spirit of the Battle of Gallipoli should go to this place. Because it is the best place to see the Çanakkale / Dardanelles !
Just an hour away from Canakkale (30 Km), near Tevfikiye village in Intepe, lie the ruins of the Ancient Troy. It's a worth visit if you're nearby.
How many places are there in the world with such a brand name? With over five thousand years of history, Troy has been a fertile source of inspiration for poets and bards, and…
What you see here is ruins of the Troy kingdom. Learn the history, use your imagination, and see how those ancient people made their fortress, chose a place to build a town, constructed their irrigation, and traded with other nations.
On a part that was used as a temple of their God (Zeus?), you can see a beautiful scenery over…
We visited Troy in afternoon when it was quite hot.The wooden horse when you reach you feel that it has nothing got to do with the history except an imagination.The jumbled ruins still need many days of excavation and organisation.But Im thankful to our Guide Boraq from RSL travels that he had a good knowledge of history and covered all…
It is not to often you get to see one of histories greatest cities, but when at Troy, you see a historical masterpiece. There is not much left at Troy, but what is left tells the story of its past in a picturesque manor. Previous knowledge on Troy would be good to have, or else you may not appreciate all…
We had a great afternoon at Troy. The ruins are really fascinating as is the story the goes with them. We also had a great guide which does help. It's worth the trip.
Here are half-a-dozen of the most common questions about Troy:
1) IS TROY EASY TO REACH?: Yes, it's just 30 minutes out of Çanakkale, on a good road, near the mouth of the Dardanelles. Çanakkale is the main town for most people visiting Gallipoli. So you can easily arrange visits to both locations if you're staying in this town. (see…