Ancient City of Troy - Legends, Archaeology & History

Near Canakkale (Gallipoli) in Turkey, Troy is the home of the famous Trojan War, the wooden horse and the abduction of beautiful Helen. Known also as ancient Ilion, the mound preserves a stack of cities (Troy I-IX) from the Early Bronze Age through Roman times, reflecting centuries of rebuilding. Troy also held real strategic importance, controlling approaches to the Dardanelles between the Aegean and Black Sea. Excavations begun by Heinrich Schliemann and continued by Dörpfeld, Blegen, and modern teams uncovered massive walls, gates, houses, and a later Roman sanctuary. The site has been a UNESCO World Heritage property since 1998.

What Makes Troy Special?

Troy, the famous ancient city from the great work of "Iliad" by Homer, the city where Paris took his beloved Helen, resulting in a ten-year war between the Trojans and the Achaeans (Greeks). The city is home to the mythological story of the Trojan War that ended the lives of so many soldiers and heroes on both sides, finally ending with the destruction of Troy. It also is the starting point of Oddyseus' ten year journey back home, and thus another great work, "Odyssey".

Indisputably, the mythological stories from the works of Homer make up for the most interesting part of the history of Troy, around 13th century BC. The oldest remains in the city were dated to 2920 BC, and the latest to around 12th century AD. This vast timespan of the city&s existence is layered into different cultural levels by archaeologists. According to this system, every layer is categorised using major cultural and technological changes. The layer that most people would be interested in is Troia VI (1740-1180 BC), also known as Troia of Homer.

According to the myth, the Trojan War was finally won by feigning defeat, leaving a wooden horse as a gift, which turned out to be filled by Achaean soldiers who at night opened the gates of the city, letting in the Achean army, then laying waste to the city of Troy. A modern wooden horse which is climbable using stairs can now be seen at the entrance of the city. Also, a more famous imitation can be found in the city centre of Canakkale, the wooden horse that was used in the movie "Troy", starring Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom.

Location & Climate of Troy

The ancient city is located along the Dardanelles Strait (Canakkale), between the Aegean and the Marmara Sea, ultimately connecting the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. This position gave the city a strategic importance as merchant ships used the port as a stopover. The location of the city was even more prominent before ships could sail against the wind. During this era, merchants would dock at the city, located just at the entrance of the Straits, waiting for favorable winds.

Troy is 23 miles (37 kms) away from a city called Canakkale, also known as Gallipoli. It is about 220 miles (355 kms) to the south-west of Istanbul. Most agencies include Troy as a site to be visited between Izmir and Istanbul but it can also be visited as an individual site.

The tempreatures during the summer months is about 70-95 Fahrenheit (22-35 Celsius). The area can get cold with strong winds during the winter months with temperatures around 37-50 Fahrenheit (3-10 Celsius).