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,
Troy is one of those places I have wanted to visit for ages, possibly since I first heard the story of the wooden horse as a child. I visited on 23rd November 2012, possibly on the same tour as MACK14? Unlike Knossos in Crete, there has been no attempt to re-create any of the buildings and it is therefore left…
The site is much more impressive than expected, quite large and not fully excavated or developed. Instead there are very good quality descriptive signs with the historical data relevant to each section accompanied by an artists impression of the potential original structures. Easy to follow, user-friendly tourist pathway shows the best of the site. Wear sensible shoes or runners! Read…
Troia (Troy) starting with the reconstruction of the famous horse (you can actually climb inside) is exactly the way you imagine this town during the conflict described by Homerus. The tall walls remind one of the siege. Especially interesting is the spot where 7 different layers, corresponding to the different epochs, can be seen. Not to be missed by anyone…
We toured this site while on a group tour. First it was a bus ride from Istanbul, then a ferry ride across the Dardanelles, and another bus ride to get to Troy. There is a replica of the Trojan horse and one can climb inside.The ruins are extensive and quite impressive. It's better to read about the place before one…
For most of the Turkish people it seems that nothing to see there. Sometimes it is disappointed to see only stones but you should read the history. Either you are turkish or not you need a guide. Let him/her to tell you about Troy. There is a wooden horse and you can take some photos inside. There is one more…
I know Lonely Planet says don't bother but we wanted to explore Troy and we had an excellent private tour guide. He brought it all to life for us and his knowledge of the site was worth every penny spent. We organised through our hotel in Behramkale so our source was extremely reliable. Without him, it would have only appeared…
Beware, if you reach Troy with grand expectations along the lines of Pompeii, the Roman forum or the Acropolis, you will be severly disappointed. Although this site still retains very visible foundations from the ancient city, there are no complete buildings and many 'reconstructions'. The site however has a reasonable entrance fee, at 15tl entrance, and one could spend a…
Amazing to see the ruins and the massive walls of Troy. Climbing up the steps of the replica Trojan Horse to hide within like the invading Greek soldiers kept everyone amused. The sea has receded so Troy is no longer so close to the beaches where the Greeks landed.
One of the few archaeological attractions in Turkey with well paved paths.
Lots of history and very interesting, though the wooden horse at the entrance is quite cliche.
If you do not have a good guide i recommend spending a little for the audio guide!
Was a very enjoyable didn't know that there was nine cities of Troy built on top of one another we had a great tour guide which is half the battle