Troy (Ilion) is the famous ancient fortress city, which was glorified by Homer in his Iliad and Odyssey. Where was Troy located and why is it famous? What legends are associated with it? You will learn about everything from this article.

Background of Troy

Before the emergence of Troy, there was an ancient Neolithic settlement of Kumtepe in its place; it was founded approximately 4.8 millennium BC. Kumtepe was mainly inhabited by fishermen who not only caught fish, but also traded it.

After existing for several centuries, the settlement was abandoned. But later, around 3.7 millennium BC, it was revived by new colonists who were engaged in animal husbandry and agriculture.

History of Troy

The city or state of Troy throughout the history of its existence occupied an advantageous political and economic position: fertile land, the presence of two rivers: Simois and Scamander, access to the Aegean Sea, etc.

That is why for many centuries in a row ancient Troy was the most important trading center between the West and the East, and was repeatedly subjected to raids by various tribes, looting and arson.

So, Troy was built off the coast of the Aegean Sea in Asia Minor. Today the territory where Troy was located belongs to Turkey. The people who lived in Troy in those distant times are called Teucrians by historians.

The city flourished during the famous Mycenaean civilization. In addition to Homer's epic of Troy, it is mentioned in ancient cuneiform tablets of Taruisha, ancient Egyptian papyri from the time of Ramses III, in Mycenaean texts, etc.

Historians have not come to a consensus about the origins of the Trojans. They also still argue whether Troy is the name of the state or its capital. The information that has reached us from the depths of time is clearly not enough.

The legend of the founding of Troy

In accordance with ancient Greek mythology, Troy was founded by a certain young man Il. The Phrygian king generously rewarded him for winning the competition, gave him 100 slaves and a cow in addition, and ordered him to found a city where the cow wanted to rest.

The cow decided to lie down on Ata Hill. It was on this hill that the beginning of the legendary Troy or Ilion was laid. Zeus blessed the foundation of the city, promised to protect it and sent Ilu a wooden image of Athena.

According to legend, some ancient Greek gods personally participated in the construction of the walls of Ancient Troy. Apollo and Poseidon served the king of Troy and built a powerful wall of large stone blocks around the city.

For a long time, European scientists argued about where Troy was located. At the beginning of the 19th century, the English historian MacLaren suggested that the ancient city was located under the Hissarlik hill.

Already at the end of the 19th century, the German archaeologist Schliemann began active excavations in this place. It was he who became the man who discovered the ancient city of Troy for his contemporaries.

Today, Schliemann's archaeological finds are kept in the Pushkin Museum, the Hermitage and other museums around the world. Excavations continue at the site of Hisarlik Hill; the ruins of nine ancient fortresses from different eras have already been exposed.

Layers of the ancient city of Troy

As a result of archaeological excavations, several ancient cities were discovered, each of which was named Troy. In total, archaeologists count nine layers of ancient Troy, not counting the Neolithic settlement.

1. Troy I (3rd millennium BC)

It was a small fortress-like settlement with simple clay walls and houses. Most likely it died in a fire. Ceramic items similar to those found in Bulgaria were discovered.

2. Troy II (2.5 millennium BC)

This rich settlement was discovered by Schliemann himself. Among other things, the German archaeologist found the famous treasure of Priam with many weapons, precious jewelry, gold utensils, etc.

3. Troy III-IV-V-VI (2.3 – 1.3 millennium BC)

These layers tell about the decline of Troy, the earthquake that befell it, and later the gradual restoration and growth of the ancient city, turning it into the capital of a strong state.

4. Troy VII (1.3 – 0.9 millennium BC)

It was during these times that the famous Trojan War took place, which glorified this ancient city for centuries. Homer spoke about this war in his Iliad and Odyssey. As a result, fallen Troy was captured by the Phrygians.

5. Troy VIII-IX (900 – 350 BC)

At this time, the history of Troy and Ancient Greece is closely connected. Greeks live in the city, the famous Greek king Xerxes visits it, Troy becomes a fairly large center of Hellenic culture.

6. Troy X (300 BC – 500 AD)

Later, the Persians captured Troy, and then the city came under the rule of Alexander the Great. During the period of the Roman Empire, Troy slowly began to revive, was freed from taxes and significantly expanded.

However, in the 5th century AD. Troy was captured and finally destroyed by the Turks who came to Asia Minor. In the 6th century, the last settlements of people who lived on the site of the once legendary Troy disappeared forever.

Language and writing of Troy

Some scholars are inclined to believe that the Trojans spoke a language close to Phrygian, others believe that they were of Luwian origin and spoke the Luwian language. All assumptions are based on ancient Greek legends.

Troy (Turkish Truva), second name - Ilion, is an ancient city in the north-west of Asia Minor, off the coast of the Aegean Sea. It was known thanks to the ancient Greek epics and was discovered in the 1870s. during G. Schliemann's excavations of the Hissarlik hill. The city gained particular fame thanks to the myths about the Trojan War and the events described in Homer’s poem “The Iliad,” according to which the 10-year war of the coalition of Achaean kings led by Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, against Troy ended with the fall of the fortress city. The people who inhabited Troy are called Teucrians in ancient Greek sources.

Troy is a mythical city. For many centuries, the reality of Troy's existence was questioned - it existed like a city from legend. But there have always been people looking for a reflection of real history in the events of the Iliad. However, serious attempts to search for the ancient city were made only in the 19th century. In 1870, Heinrich Schliemann, while excavating the mountain village of Gissrlik on the Turkish coast, came across the ruins of an ancient city. Continuing excavations to a depth of 15 meters, he unearthed treasures that belonged to an ancient and highly developed civilization. These were the ruins of Homer's famous Troy. It is worth noting that Schliemann excavated a city that was built earlier (1000 years before the Trojan War); further research showed that he simply walked right through Troy, since it was built on the ruins of the ancient city he found.

Troy and Atlantis are one and the same. In 1992, Eberhard Zangger suggested that Troy and Atlantis are the same city. He based his theory on the similarity of the descriptions of cities in ancient legends. However, this assumption did not have a widespread and scientific basis. This hypothesis did not receive widespread support.

The Trojan War broke out because of a woman. According to Greek legend, the Trojan War broke out because one of the 50 sons of King Priam, Paris, kidnapped the beautiful Helen, the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus. The Greeks sent troops precisely to take Helen away. However, according to some historians, this is most likely only the peak of the conflict, that is, the last straw that gave rise to the war. Before this, there were supposedly many trade wars between the Greeks and the Trojans, who controlled trade along the entire coast of the Dardanelles.

Troy survived for 10 years thanks to outside help. According to available sources, Agamemnon's army camped in front of the city on the seashore, without besieging the fortress from all sides. King Priam of Troy took advantage of this, establishing close ties with Caria, Lydia and other regions of Asia Minor, which provided him with assistance during the war. As a result, the war turned out to be very protracted.

The Trojan horse actually existed. This is one of the few episodes of that war that has never found its archaeological and historical confirmation. Moreover, there is not a word about the horse in the Iliad, but Homer describes it in detail in his Odyssey. And all the events associated with the Trojan horse and their details were described by the Roman poet Virgil in the Aeneid, 1st century. BC, i.e. almost 1200 years later. Some historians suggest that the Trojan horse meant some kind of weapon, for example, a ram. Others claim that Homer called Greek sea vessels this way. It is possible that there was no horse at all, and Homer used it in his poem as a symbol of the death of the gullible Trojans.

The Trojan horse got into the city thanks to a cunning trick by the Greeks. According to legend, the Greeks spread a rumor that there was a prophecy that if a wooden horse stood within the walls of Troy, it could forever defend the city from Greek raids. Most of the city's residents were inclined to believe that the horse should be brought into the city. However, there were also opponents. The priest Laocoon suggested burning the horse or throwing it off a cliff. He even threw a spear at the horse, and everyone heard that the horse was empty inside. Soon a Greek named Sinon was captured and told Priam that the Greeks had built a horse in honor of the goddess Athena to atone for many years of bloodshed. Tragic events followed: during a sacrifice to the god of the sea Poseidon, two huge snakes swam out of the water and strangled the priest and his sons. Seeing this as an omen from above, the Trojans decided to roll the horse into the city. He was so huge that he couldn’t fit through the gate and part of the wall had to be dismantled.

The Trojan Horse caused the fall of Troy. According to legend, on the night after the horse entered the city, Sinon released the warriors hiding inside from its belly, who quickly killed the guards and opened the city gates. The city, which had fallen asleep after the riotous festivities, did not even offer strong resistance. Several Trojan soldiers led by Aeneas tried to save the palace and the king. According to ancient Greek myths, the palace fell thanks to the giant Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, who smashed the front door with his ax and killed King Priam.

Heinrich Schliemann, who found Troy and amassed a huge fortune during his life, was born into a poor family. He was born in 1822 into the family of a rural pastor. His homeland is a small German village near the Polish border. His mother died when he was 9 years old. My father was a harsh, unpredictable and self-centered man who loved women very much (for which he lost his position). At the age of 14, Heinrich was separated from his first love, the girl Minna. When Heinrich was 25 years old and already becoming a famous businessman, he finally asked Minna's hand in marriage from her father in a letter. The answer said that Minna married a farmer. This message completely broke his heart. A passion for Ancient Greece appeared in the boy’s soul thanks to his father, who read the Iliad to the children in the evenings, and then gave his son a book on world history with illustrations. In 1840, after a long and grueling job in a grocery store that almost cost him his life, Henry boarded a ship bound for Venezuela. On December 12, 1841, the ship was caught in a storm and Schliemann was thrown into the icy sea; he was saved from death by a barrel, which he held on to until he was rescued. During his life, he learned 17 languages ​​and made a large fortune. However, the peak of his career was the excavations of the great Troy.

Heinrich Schliemann undertook the excavations of Troy due to unsettled personal life. This is not excluded. In 1852, Heinrich Schliemann, who had many affairs in St. Petersburg, married Ekaterina Lyzhina. This marriage lasted 17 years and turned out to be completely empty for him. Being a passionate man by nature, he married a sensible woman who was cold towards him. As a result, he almost found himself on the verge of madness. The unhappy couple had three children, but this did not bring happiness to Schliemann. Out of desperation, he made another fortune by selling indigo dye. In addition, he took up the Greek language closely. An inexorable thirst for travel appeared in him. In 1868, he decided to go to Ithaca and organize his first expedition. Then he went towards Constantinople, to the places where Troy was located according to the Iliad and began excavations on the Hissarlik hill. This was his first step on the path to the great Troy.

Schliemann tried on jewelry from Helen of Troy for his second wife. Heinrich was introduced to his second wife by his old friend, 17-year-old Greek Sofia Engastromenos. According to some sources, when Schliemann found the famous treasures of Troy (10,000 gold objects) in 1873, he moved them upstairs with the help of his second wife, whom he loved immensely. Among them were two luxurious tiaras. Having placed one of them on Sophia’s head, Henry said: “The jewel that Helen of Troy wore now adorns my wife.” One of the photographs actually shows her wearing magnificent antique jewelry.

The Trojan treasures were lost. There is a deal of truth in it. The Schliemanns donated 12,000 objects to the Berlin Museum. During World War II, this priceless treasure was moved to a bunker from which it disappeared in 1945. Part of the treasury unexpectedly appeared in 1993 in Moscow. There is still no answer to the question: “Was it really the gold of Troy?”

During excavations at Hisarlik, several layers of cities from different times were discovered. Archaeologists have identified 9 layers that belong to different years. Everyone calls them Troy. Only two towers have survived from Troy I. Troy II was explored by Schliemann, considering it the true Troy of King Priam. Troy VI was the high point of the city's development, its inhabitants trading profitably with the Greeks, but the city appears to have been badly destroyed by an earthquake. Modern scientists believe that the found Troy VII is the true city of Homer's Iliad. According to historians, the city fell in 1184 BC, being burned by the Greeks. Troy VIII was restored by Greek colonists, who also built the temple of Athena here. Troy IX already belongs to the Roman Empire. I would like to note that excavations have shown that Homeric descriptions very accurately describe the city.

Troy (Turkish Truva), second name Ilion, is an ancient city in the north-west of Asia Minor, off the coast of the Aegean Sea. It was known thanks to the ancient Greek epics and was discovered in the 1870s. during G. Schliemann's excavations of the Hissarlik hill. The city gained particular fame thanks to the myths about the Trojan War and the events described in Homer’s poem “The Iliad,” according to which the 10-year war of the coalition of Achaean kings led by Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, against Troy ended with the fall of the fortress city. The people who inhabited Troy are called Teucrians in ancient Greek sources.

Troy is a mythical city. For many centuries, the reality of Troy's existence was questioned - it existed like a city from legend. But there have always been people looking for a reflection of real history in the events of the Iliad. However, serious attempts to search for the ancient city were made only in the 19th century. In 1870, Heinrich Schliemann, while excavating the mountain village of Gissrlik on the Turkish coast, came across the ruins of an ancient city. Continuing excavations to a depth of 15 meters, he unearthed treasures that belonged to an ancient and highly developed civilization. These were the ruins of Homer's famous Troy. It is worth noting that Schliemann excavated a city that was built earlier (1000 years before the Trojan War); further research showed that he simply walked right through Troy, since it was built on the ruins of the ancient city he found.

Troy and Atlantis are one and the same. In 1992, Eberhard Zangger suggested that Troy and Atlantis are the same city. He based his theory on the similarity of the descriptions of cities in ancient legends. However, this assumption did not have a widespread and scientific basis. This hypothesis did not receive widespread support.

The Trojan War broke out because of a woman. According to Greek legend, the Trojan War broke out because one of the 50 sons of King Priam, Paris, kidnapped the beautiful Helen, the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus. The Greeks sent troops precisely to take Helen away. However, according to some historians, this is most likely only the peak of the conflict, that is, the last straw that gave rise to the war. Before this, there were supposedly many trade wars between the Greeks and the Trojans, who controlled trade along the entire coast of the Dardanelles.

Troy survived for 10 years thanks to outside help. According to available sources, Agamemnon's army camped in front of the city on the seashore, without besieging the fortress from all sides. King Priam of Troy took advantage of this, establishing close ties with Caria, Lydia and other regions of Asia Minor, which provided him with assistance during the war. As a result, the war turned out to be very protracted.

The Trojan horse actually existed. This is one of the few episodes of that war that has never found its archaeological and historical confirmation. Moreover, there is not a word about the horse in the Iliad, but Homer describes it in detail in his Odyssey. And all the events associated with the Trojan horse and their details were described by the Roman poet Virgil in the Aeneid, 1st century. BC, i.e. almost 1200 years later. Some historians suggest that the Trojan horse meant some kind of weapon, for example, a ram. Others claim that Homer called Greek sea vessels this way. It is possible that there was no horse at all, and Homer used it in his poem as a symbol of the death of the gullible Trojans.

The Trojan horse got into the city thanks to a cunning trick by the Greeks. According to legend, the Greeks spread a rumor that there was a prophecy that if a wooden horse stood within the walls of Troy, it could forever defend the city from Greek raids. Most of the city's residents were inclined to believe that the horse should be brought into the city. However, there were also opponents. The priest Laocoon suggested burning the horse or throwing it off a cliff. He even threw a spear at the horse, and everyone heard that the horse was empty inside. Soon a Greek named Sinon was captured and told Priam that the Greeks had built a horse in honor of the goddess Athena to atone for many years of bloodshed. Tragic events followed: during a sacrifice to the god of the sea Poseidon, two huge snakes swam out of the water and strangled the priest and his sons. Seeing this as an omen from above, the Trojans decided to roll the horse into the city. He was so huge that he couldn’t fit through the gate and part of the wall had to be dismantled.

The Trojan Horse caused the fall of Troy. According to legend, on the night after the horse entered the city, Sinon released the warriors hiding inside from its belly, who quickly killed the guards and opened the city gates. The city, which had fallen asleep after the riotous festivities, did not even offer strong resistance. Several Trojan soldiers led by Aeneas tried to save the palace and the king. According to ancient Greek myths, the palace fell thanks to the giant Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, who smashed the front door with his ax and killed King Priam.

Heinrich Schliemann, who found Troy and amassed a huge fortune during his life, was born into a poor family. He was born in 1822 into the family of a rural pastor. His homeland is a small German village near the Polish border. His mother died when he was 9 years old. My father was a harsh, unpredictable and self-centered man who loved women very much (for which he lost his position). At the age of 14, Heinrich was separated from his first love, the girl Minna. When Heinrich was 25 years old and already becoming a famous businessman, he finally asked Minna's hand in marriage from her father in a letter. The answer said that Minna married a farmer. This message completely broke his heart. A passion for Ancient Greece appeared in the boy’s soul thanks to his father, who read the Iliad to the children in the evenings, and then gave his son a book on world history with illustrations. In 1840, after a long and grueling job in a grocery store that almost cost him his life, Henry boarded a ship bound for Venezuela. On December 12, 1841, the ship was caught in a storm and Schliemann was thrown into the icy sea; he was saved from death by a barrel, which he held on to until he was rescued. During his life, he learned 17 languages ​​and made a large fortune. However, the peak of his career was the excavations of the great Troy.

Heinrich Schliemann undertook the excavations of Troy due to unsettled personal life. This is not excluded. In 1852, Heinrich Schliemann, who had many affairs in St. Petersburg, married Ekaterina Lyzhina. This marriage lasted 17 years and turned out to be completely empty for him. Being a passionate man by nature, he married a sensible woman who was cold towards him. As a result, he almost found himself on the verge of madness. The unhappy couple had three children, but this did not bring happiness to Schliemann. Out of desperation, he made another fortune by selling indigo dye. In addition, he took up the Greek language closely. An inexorable thirst for travel appeared in him. In 1668, he decided to go to Ithaca and organize his first expedition. Then he went towards Constantinople, to the places where Troy was located according to the Iliad and began excavations on the Hissarlik hill. This was his first step on the path to the great Troy.

Schliemann tried on jewelry from Helen of Troy for his second wife. Heinrich was introduced to his second wife by his old friend, 17-year-old Greek Sofia Engastromenos. According to some sources, when Schliemann found the famous treasures of Troy (10,000 gold objects) in 1873, he moved them upstairs with the help of his second wife, whom he loved immensely. Among them were two luxurious tiaras. Having placed one of them on Sophia’s head, Henry said: “The jewel that Helen of Troy wore now adorns my wife.” One of the photographs actually shows her wearing magnificent antique jewelry.

The Trojan treasures were lost. There is a deal of truth in it. The Schliemanns donated 12,000 objects to the Berlin Museum. During World War II, this priceless treasure was moved to a bunker from which it disappeared in 1945. Part of the treasury unexpectedly appeared in 1993 in Moscow. There is still no answer to the question: “Was it really the gold of Troy?”

During excavations at Hisarlik, several layers of cities from different times were discovered. Archaeologists have identified 9 layers that belong to different years. Everyone calls them Troy.

Only two towers have survived from Troy I. Troy II was explored by Schliemann, considering it the true Troy of King Priam. Troy VI was the high point of the city's development, its inhabitants trading profitably with the Greeks, but the city appears to have been badly destroyed by an earthquake. Modern scientists believe that the found Troy VII is the true city of Homer's Iliad. According to historians, the city fell in 1184 BC, being burned by the Greeks. Troy VIII was restored by Greek colonists, who also built the temple of Athena here. Troy IX already belongs to the Roman Empire. I would like to note that excavations have shown that Homeric descriptions very accurately describe the city.

Popular myths.

Popular facts.

Troy, Turkey: description, photo, where it is on the map, how to get there

Troy- an ancient settlement in Turkey off the coast of the Aegean Sea. This landmark was sung by Homer in his Iliad. The Trojan War brought Troy its greatest fame. This ancient Greek city is included in the 1000 best places in the world according to our website.

Many tourists are interested in this archaeological site of modern Turkey. In order to get to Troy, you must first get to Canakalle. From there, buses leave hourly for Troy. The journey will take about half an hour. In turn, you can come to Canakalle by bus from Izmir or Istanbul. In both cases, the distance is about 320 km.

The German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann was the first to become interested in the excavations of Troy in the second half of the 19th century. It was under his leadership that the ruins of nine cities around the Hissarlik hill were found. Moreover, many ancient artifacts and one very ancient fortress were found. Schliemann's many years of work were continued by one of his colleagues, who excavated a vast area dating back to the Mycenaean era.

Excavations are still ongoing at this site.

Today in Troy there is little to attract the traveler's eye. However, the atmosphere of the world's greatest fairy tale invariably hovers in this city. At the moment, the restoration of the famous Trojan Horse has been completely completed. This attraction is located on a panoramic platform.

Photo attraction: Troy

Troy on the map:

Where is Troy? - monument on the map

Troy is located in modern Turkey, on the eastern coast of the Aegean Sea, southwest of Istanbul. In ancient times, Troy was apparently a powerful fortified city, whose inhabitants were most famous for allowing into their city a wooden horse left behind by the Greeks. According to legend, Greek soldiers were hiding inside the souvenir, who killed the Trojan guards and opened the city gates for the Greek army.

Coordinates:
39.9573326 northern latitude
26.2387447 east longitude

Troy on the interactive map, which can be controlled:

Troy is in the lists: cities, monuments

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Troy

Troy is an ancient Greek city on the western tip of Asia Minor. In the 8th century BC, Homer spoke about it in his poems. It was a blind wandering singer. He sang about the Trojan War, which took place in the 13th century BC. e. That is, this event occurred 500 years before Homer.

For a long time it was believed that both Troy and the Trojan War were invented by the singer. It is still not even known whether the ancient poet actually existed or whether he was a collective image. Therefore, many historians were skeptical about the events sung in the Iliad.

Troy on the map of Turkey, indicated by a blue circle

In 1865, the English archaeologist Frank Calvert began excavations on the Hisarlik hill, located 7 km from the Dardanelles Strait. In 1868, German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann also began excavations at the other end of the same hill, after a chance meeting with Calvert in Canakkale.

The German was lucky. He excavated several fortified cities that were built in different eras. To date, 9 main settlements have been excavated, located one above the other. They were built in a time period that spans 3.5 thousand years.

Model of the city of Troy on the eve of the Trojan War

The excavations are located in northwestern Anatolia at the southwestern end of the Dardanelles Strait (in ancient times the Hellespont) northwest of Mount Ida. It is about 30 km southwest of the city of Canakkale (the capital of the province of the same name).

Not far from the ruins is a small village that supports the tourism industry. This site was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.. It should be noted that during the Roman Empire Troy was called Ilion. The city flourished until it was eclipsed by Constantinople. During the Byzantine era it fell into decay.

The famous Trojan horse. Hiding in such a horse,
the treacherous Achaeans entered the city

Main archaeological layers of Troy

1 layer- a settlement dating back to the Neolithic period. This is the 7th-5th centuries BC. e.

2 layer- covers the period 3-2.6 thousand years BC. e. It is from this settlement that Troy begins. It had a diameter of no more than 150 meters. The houses were built from clay bricks. All houses were destroyed by fire.

3 layer- covers the period 2.6-2.25 thousand years BC. e. More developed settlement. Precious jewelry, gold vessels, weapons, and gravestones were found on its territory. All this pointed to a highly developed culture. The settlement was destroyed as a result of a natural disaster.

4 and 5 layers- covers the period 2.25-1.95 thousand years BC. e. Characterized by the decline of culture and material wealth.

6 layer- 1.95-1.3 thousand years BC e. The city grew in size and wealth. It was destroyed around 1250 BC. e. strong earthquake. However, it was quickly restored.

7 layer- 1.3-1.2 thousand years BC e. This particular archaeological layer dates back to the period of the Trojan War. The area of ​​the city at that time occupied 200 thousand square meters. meters. At the same time, the area of ​​the fortress was 23 thousand square meters. meters. The urban population reached 10 thousand people. The city fortress was a powerful wall with towers. Their height reached 9 meters. The siege and destruction of the city occurs approximately in 1184 BC. e.

8 layer- 1.2-0.9 thousand years BC e. The settlement was captured by wild tribes. No cultural development was observed during this period.

9 layer- 900-350 BC e. Troy turned into the ancient Greek city-state - polis. This had a beneficial effect on the culture and well-being of citizens. The period is characterized by good relations with the Achaemenid power. Persian king Xerxes in 480 BC. e. visited the city and sacrificed 1000 bulls to the sanctuary of Athena.

10 layer- 350 BC e. - 400 AD e. characterized by the era of Hellenistic states and Roman rule. In 85 BC. e. Ilium was destroyed by the Roman general Fimbria.

Sulla then helped rebuild the settlement.

In 20 AD e. Emperor Augustus visited Troy and allocated money for the restoration of the sanctuary of Athena. The city flourished for a long time, but then, as already mentioned, fell into decline, thanks to the heyday of Constantinople.

Archaeological excavations

After Schliemann, excavations were carried out by Wilhelm Dörpfeld in 1893-1894, and then in 1932-1938 by Karl Blegen. These excavations showed that there were 9 cities, built one on top of the other. At the same time, 9 levels were divided into 46 sublevels.

Archaeological excavations resumed in 1988 under the leadership of professors Manfred Korfmann and Brian Rose. During this period, the ruins of late Greek and Roman cities were discovered. In 2006, Ernst Pernik led the excavations.

In March 2014, it was announced that further research would be sponsored by a private Turkish company, and the work would be led by Associate Professor Rustem Aslan. It was stated that Troy would boost tourism in Canakkale and perhaps become one of Turkey's most visited historical sites.

It seems to me that there is no such person who would not know and have not heard about him..

  • Let's start with the fact that this city was glorified by the famous Homer in his work “The Iliad”.
  • He described the events of the famous Trojan War. The wife of the Mycenaean king, the beautiful Helen, fell in love with Paris. The lovers fled to Troy, to the groom's father. The angry husband gathered an army and rushed to return his unfaithful wife. As a result, the siege of the city lasted 10 years.

He was taken thanks to a trick invented by.

  • The besiegers built a huge horse out of wood, hid a number of soldiers in it, and allegedly retreated. The Trojans dragged the horse into the city, mistaking it for a gift from the gods, and held festivities on this occasion. At night, the warriors got out of their horses, opened the gates and let their comrades into the city. Thus, the famous Trojan Horse entered history, and the city fell.
  • He described real historical events. Although Troy was long considered a fictional city, it supposedly did not exist in real life in ancient times. And then such a lover of archeology appeared, Heinrich Schliemann. He set himself the goal of finding Troy. He succeeded only on the fourth attempt.

I would like to note that life is structured in such a way that cities are destroyed, covered with a layer of earth, new settlements can be built on this earth, etc. So, Schliemann carried out excavations very roughly, he swept away those layers that were not interesting to him. This is what he did in the case of Troy. He's her found in May 1873, destroying later cultural layers.


  • Schliemann showed the world the famous gold of Troy - this is the so-called “Priam’s treasure”. He even took a photo of his wife Sofia wearing jewelry from these finds.

For a very long time they did not believe that it was the same Troy that had been found, that the “treasure” was genuine, etc. But passions subsided and the majority came to the conclusion that this was the same legendary Troy.

  • The city of Troy is also associated with the name of the famous Alexander the Great. He made a pilgrimage to this city. The altar of the temple of Athena, which he visited, was found.

The fact is that the city of Troy is so geographically located that it is constantly beset by disasters (earthquakes, wars, etc.). Therefore, he is like a phoenix bird - he dies in order to be reborn again.

Well, since Schliemann did not excavate the entire territory of Troy and did not sweep away all the cultural layers, I am sure that archaeologists will surprise the world more than once with their finds glorifying Troy.

It took the ancient Greek hero Odysseus 10 years to sail from Troy to Greece. She, this Troy, must be damn far away! At least that's what I always thought. And I was surprised once! My husband and I were traveling along the coast of Turkey, and suddenly we discovered that Troy - very close to Istanbul! That is, the homeland of Odysseus - the Greek island of Ithaca - is just a stone's throw away. Across the sea. And it took him 10 years. Miracles.

The Many Faces of Troy

First, let's define the concepts. Troy is an ancient city. It was once destroyed by the Greeks. The very first poem that has come down to us, “The Iliad,” was written about this. Homer wrote it. Even then it - this Troy - was destroyed. AND Now such a city does not exist. But we can see its ruins. So, in order not to get confused, you need to know that this city was called differently:

  • Troy;
  • Ilion(hence the name of Homer’s ancient poem “The Iliad”);
  • Dardania;
  • Scamander;
  • Canakkale.

Now we have an idea of ​​where Troy was. We need to be grateful for this Heinrich Schliemann. True, he is not our compatriot (as someone said above), but a German.

About Schliemann is a completely different story. She always inspires me. He was not an archaeological scientist. He was a wealthy businessman and an upstart. In the world of science he was despised. But he was passionate about Ancient Greece and the history of the Trojan War. He poured all his energy into digging into the hills of the Greek and Ottoman coasts. Professional archaeologists laughed at him and looked down on him. And then one day this Schliemann, this passionate amateur... reallyfound the ruins of TroAnd!


Where Troy once stood

So, Troy was located on the territory of modern Turkey. This is the northwestern part of the country, strait coastDardanelles. The ruins are located north of Istanbul. By the way, there is a bus from here. The journey takes 5–6 hours.

Here, on the coast Asia Minor, and once flared up Trojan War. If you are coming from Istanbul, you should follow this route:

  • Istanbul - Canakkale(regional center, from where you can move on);
  • Canakkale - Tevfikiye(about 30 kilometers, this is a village next to the excavations);
  • Tevfikiye - excavations.

So why did Odysseus swim for so long? Well, along the way, he lived for seven years with the beautiful nymph Calypso, then for another year with the sorceress Kirka, got stuck at a party for the wind god Aeolus, and took a walk out of interest into the kingdom of the dead. In general, the guy was in no hurry to go home. Otherwise I would have sailed in a couple of weeks.


In general, if you are going to Troy, do not be distracted from the indicated route. Otherwise you will get lost like Odysseus.