Ancient City of Troy

Ancient City of Troy

Introduction: The ancient city of Troy, located about 40 kilometers from the city of Çanakkale in Turkey, is the result of major archaeological excavations in the 19th century. It is believed that the city was built 2,200 years ago and has nine layers from different eras—one for each layer—much like Kaifeng. The *Iliad* describes events from the sixth layer. In the late 19th century, German archaeologists unearthed jewelry from the second layer, dating back to the 2nd century AD. The city walls, ancient houses, and theater have now become broken stones and ruins under the sunset of Asia Minor. At the entrance stands a giant replica of the Trojan Horse, a reminder of the legendary tale. The horse was made from pine trees from Mount Ida in Greek mythology and constructed in 1975. It stands about two stories tall and visitors can climb a ladder inside to explore. It’s hard to say whether this is a testament to love or a symbol of betrayal. Troy was built around the 16th century BC by ancient Greeks who crossed the sea, and flourished between the 13th and 12th centuries BC. Excavation of the Troy ruins began in the mid-19th century and continued into the 1930s. Archaeologists discovered remnants of Troy from nine different periods, spanning from 3000 BC to 400 AD, buried in layers up to 30 meters deep. They found the Temple of Athena and council chambers from the Roman Empire period around 400 AD, as well as the ruins of a marketplace and theater. Though these buildings have collapsed, the surviving walls and stone pillars still show impressive grandeur. There is a castle from 2600–2300 BC with a diameter of over 120 meters, containing a royal palace and other structures. A royal treasury was uncovered here, yielding many gold, silver, and bronze treasures, as well as pottery mainly in red and brown. Stone tools, bone tools, and pottery spinning wheels were also found. Troy is the site of a city destroyed by fire, with stone walls up to 5 meters high, and many simple yet geometrically decorated painted pottery pieces and daily utensils. Not far from the Troy ruins is a museum, which is currently the only museum in Turkey dedicated to Trojan artifacts. The museum is small and displays only a few relics, as many of the valuable items unearthed were looted by Western collectors—including the treasure of King Priam and Helen’s necklace. Despite this, the Troy ruins remain a fascinating destination. Today, Troy is one of Turkey’s top tourist attractions. Everything here, linked to the world’s earliest version of “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” welcomes millions of visitors from around the globe each year.

Turkey, Istanbul