Where was Troy? What is on the site of Troy now? Ancient city of Troy. Where was Troy on the modern world map?

Troy (Truva, Troy) is a city located in the northwestern part of Anatolia, near the Dardanelles and Mount Ida, and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Troy is known mostly because of the Trojan War (and that same horse), described in many works of ancient epic, including the famous “Odyssey” and “Iliad” by Homer.

The ancient world and the date of the formation of Troy
Before the appearance of the legendary Troy, the oldest permanent settlement of Kumtepe was located on the Troad Peninsula. Its founding date is generally considered to be approximately 4800 BC. The inhabitants of the ancient settlement were mainly engaged in fishing. The settlers' diet also included oysters. In Kumtepe, the dead were interred, but without any funeral gifts.
The settlement was abandoned around 4500 BC, but was revived again around 3700 BC thanks to new colonists. The new population of Kumtepe was engaged in cattle breeding and agriculture, and also lived in large houses with several rooms. Goats and sheep were bred by the inhabitants of the settlement not only for meat, but also for milk and wool. The history of Troy dates back to 3000 BC. The fortified settlement was located in Asia Minor on the Troad Peninsula. The city was in fertile hilly country.
In the place where Troy was located, the Simois and Scamander rivers flowed from both sides of the city. There was also free access to the Aegean Sea. Thus, throughout its existence, Troy occupied a very advantageous geographical position not only in the economic sphere, but also in terms of defense in the event of a possible invasion by enemies. It is no coincidence that the city in the Ancient World, in the Bronze Age, became a key center of trade between East and West.

The Legend of the Origin of Troy
You can learn about the appearance of the legendary city from an ancient legend. Long before the construction of Troy, the Teucrian people lived on the territory of the Troas peninsula (the place where Troy was located). The character of ancient Greek mythology Tros called the country he ruled Troy. Consequently, all residents began to be called Trojans.
One legend tells about the emergence of the city of Troy. Tros's eldest son was Il, who after his father's death inherited part of his kingdom. One day he came to Phrygia, having successfully defeated all his rivals in a competition. The Phrygian king generously rewarded Ila, giving him 50 young men and the same number of maidens. Also, according to legend, the ruler of Phrygia gave the hero a motley cow and ordered to found a city in the place where she wanted to rest. On Ata Hill the animal began to want to lie down. It was there that Troy was founded, which was also called Ilion.
Before building the city, Ilus asked Zeus for a good sign. The next morning, a wooden image of Pallas Athena appeared in front of the tent of the founder of the legendary city. Thus, Zeus provided Ilu with a guarantee of divine help, a stronghold and protection for the inhabitants of Troy. Subsequently, a temple appeared on the site of the appearance of the wooden image of Pallas Athena, and the built Troy was reliably protected from enemies by high walls with loopholes. Ila's son, King Laomedont, continued his father's work, fortifying the lower part of the city with a wall.

The early layers of Troy belong to the original Western Anatolian civilization. Gradually, Troy experienced increasing influence from central Anatolia (the Hutts, later the Hittites).
The name "Troy" appears in the Hittite cuneiform tablets of the Boğazköy Archive as Taruisha. An Egyptian stela from the time of Ramses III mentions his victory over the sea people "Tursha". This name is often compared with the Teresh people, mentioned a little earlier on the famous Merneptah stele. There is no consensus in the scientific world about whether these aliens were Trojans. Names with this root are found in Mycenaean texts, for example the commander of the detachment to-ro-o.

Previously, considerations were expressed that the terms “Troy” and “Ilion” could denote different cities of the same ancient state, or one of these terms could denote the capital, and the other the state itself, and “merged” into one term only in the Iliad "(according to Gindin and Tsymbursky, Troy is the designation of a country, and Ilion is a city). This point of view is not without foundation, since the Iliad, in turn, contains fragments with parallel plots, that is, perhaps going back to different retellings of the same plot; Moreover, the Iliad appeared many centuries after the events of the Trojan War, when many details could have been forgotten.

Excavations of Troy
Among historians contemporary to Heinrich Schliemann, there was a widespread hypothesis that Troy was located on the site of the village of Bunarbashi. The identity of Hisarlik Hill with Homer's Troy was suggested in 1822 by Charles MacLaren. A supporter of his ideas was Frank Calvert, who began excavations in Hisarlik 7 years before Schliemann. Ironically, the site of Hisarlik Hill, which belonged to Calvert, turned out to be away from Homer's Troy. Heinrich Schliemann, who knew Calvert, began a focused study of the second half of the Hissarlik Hill at the end of the 19th century. Most of Schliemann's finds are now kept in the Pushkin Museum (Moscow), as well as in the State Hermitage. To date, archaeologists have discovered traces of nine fortress settlements that existed in different eras on the excavation site in Hisarlik.

The first settlement found in Hisarlik (the so-called Troy I) was a fortress less than 100 m in diameter and apparently existed for a long period. The seventh layer belongs to the era described in the Iliad. During this period, Troy was a vast settlement (with an area of over 200 thousand m²), surrounded by strong walls with nine-meter towers. Major excavations in 1988 showed that the population of the city in the Homeric era was between six and ten thousand inhabitants - a very impressive number for those times. According to the expedition of Manfred Korfman, the area of the lower city was approximately 170 thousand m², the citadel - 23 thousand m².

Nine main layers of ancient Troy
Troy I (3000-2600 BC): The first Trojan settlement, 100 m in diameter, was built with very primitive dwellings made of clay bricks. Judging by the remaining traces, it died in a fire. The pottery has similarities to the pottery of the Jezero culture in Bulgaria.
Troy II (2600-2300 BC): The next settlement appears to be more developed and rich. In 1873, the German archaeologist Schliemann discovered in this layer the famous Trojan treasure, which consisted of numerous weapons, copper trinkets, parts of precious jewelry, gold vessels, and gravestones from the prehistoric and early historical periods. In the 3rd millennium BC. e. this highly developed culture was also destroyed by fire.
Troy III-IV-V (2300-1900 BC): These layers indicate a period of decline in the history of the ancient city.
Troy VI (1900-1300 BC): The city increased in diameter to 200 meters. The settlement was the victim of a strong earthquake in 1300 BC. e.
Troy VII-A (1300-1200 BC): The famous Trojan War dates back to this period. The Athenians later sacked and destroyed the settlement.
Troy VII-B (1200-900 BC): Dilapidated Troy was captured by the Phrygians.
Troy VIII (900-350 BC): At this time, the city was inhabited by Alean Greeks. King Xerxes then visited Troy and sacrificed more than 1000 heads of cattle here.
Troy IX (350 BC - 400 AD): Quite a large center of the Hellenistic era.

Where is. How to get to Troy
Troy is located 2 km from the Canakkale-Izmir highway (D550/E87), from which you need to turn off at the Troy or Truva sign.
The closest city to Troy, Canakkale, is located 30 km north of it. From there to Troy there are buses every hour, departing from a stop under the bridge over the Sari River. The journey by bus will take about half an hour. A taxi ride will cost 60-70 TRY. Prices on the page are for January 2017.
In summer, buses leave regularly, but at other times it is better to arrive early so as not to miss the last bus heading back.

Troy Hotels
Most of the hotels are located in Canakkale, so tourists most often stay there and come to Troy for one day. In Troy itself, you can stay at the Varol Pansiyon Hotel, located in the center of the neighboring village of Tevfikiye.
Opposite the entrance to Troy is the Hisarlik Hotel, owned by local guide Mustafa Askin.

Restaurants
There aren't many restaurants in Troy either. The above-mentioned Hisarlik Hotel has a cozy restaurant with home cooking, open from 8:00 to 23:00. If you decide on it, be sure to try guvec - meat stew in a pot.
In addition, you can dine at the Priamos or Wilusa eateries, also located in the village. Both restaurants serve Turkish cuisine, and the latter is well known for its meatballs and tomato salad.

Entertainment and attractions of Troy
Near the entrance to the city there is a wooden copy of the Trojan Horse, which you can go inside. But it is better to do this on weekdays, because on weekends it is filled with tourists and it will be quite difficult to climb up or look around inside. But, when visiting Troy in winter, it is quite possible to get a horse for your own use.
Next to it is the Museum of Excavations, which displays models and photographs showing what the city looked like in different periods. Opposite the museum is the Pithos garden with water pipes and clay pots from that time.
But the main attraction of Troy is undoubtedly the ruins. The city is open to visitors daily from 8:00 to 19:00 from May to September and from 8:00 to 17:00 from October to April.

Having a guide would have greatly helped in getting to know Troy, since the ruins of many buildings are quite difficult to identify on your own, and due to the different historical layers, they are all mixed up.
Troy was destroyed and rebuilt 9 times - and from each of the restorations something remains in the city to this day, although amateur excavations in the 19th century. turned out to be extremely destructive.
To explore the city, it is most convenient to use the road that encircles it in a circle. To the right of the entrance are visible walls and a tower from the period of Troy VII (that is, the city as it became after it was rebuilt 7 times), dating back to the period when the city most closely matched the descriptions of Homer in the Iliad. There you can go down the stairs and walk along the walls.

Then the road will lead to brick walls, partly restored and partly preserved in their original form. Above them is the ruined altar of the Temple of Athena, along which are the walls of the early and middle periods, and opposite are the houses of the rich inhabitants of the city.
The path then passes by trenches left over from Schliemann's excavations to a palace complex, also dating from the period most likely described in the Iliad. To the right of the palace are parts of the sanctuary of the ancient gods.
Finally, the path leads to the Odeon concert hall and the city council chambers, from where along a stone road you can return to the place from which the inspection began.

Neighborhood of Troy
30 km south of ancient Troy is the no less ancient Alexandria of Troy, a city founded by the commander of Alexander the Great, Antigonus, in 300 BC. e. However, this vast archaeological site, unlike the popular Troy, is almost unmarked. Accordingly, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to figure it out yourself, without deep knowledge of ancient history.

Notable are the outskirts of the village of Gulpinar, where the picturesque ruins of the Temple of Apollo, which was built in the 5th century, are located. BC e. colonists from Crete. The westernmost point of Asia, Cape Baba, is interesting for its fishing port Babakalekoy (Babakale, “Baba Fortress”), where there is a charming Ottoman castle of the 18th century. Here you can also freshen up by swimming either right among the boulders that frame the harbor on both sides, or by driving another 3 km north to a nice, well-equipped beach.

Another highlight of these places is the town of Ayvacik, 30 km east of Troy. At the end of the week, traders from all over the outskirts flock to the local market; the best souvenir from here is a colorful carpet. If you are lucky enough to get to Ayvadzhik at the end of April, you can catch the traditional annual gathering of nomadic peoples Paniyir. At this time, vibrant dance and music performances and noisy bazaars are held throughout the city, where thoroughbred horses are exhibited. In addition, 25 km to the south lies ancient Assos, the name of which pleases the ears of more than one admirer of antiquity.

THE LORD ABOUT THE TROJAN HORSE
The war between the Trojans and the Danaans began because the Trojan prince Paris stole the beautiful Helen from Menelaus. Her husband, the king of Sparta, and his brother gathered the army of Achaea and went against Paris. During the war with Troy, the Achaeans, after a long and unsuccessful siege, resorted to cunning: they built a huge wooden horse, left it near the walls of Troy, and they themselves pretended to sail away from the shore of the Troas (the invention of this trick is attributed to Odysseus, the most cunning of the Danaan leaders , and the horse was made by Epeus). The horse was an offering to the goddess Athena of Ilium. On the side of the horse was written “This gift is brought to Athena the Warrior by the departing Danaans.” To build the horse, the Hellenes cut down the dogwood trees (cranei) growing in Apollo’s sacred grove, appeased Apollo with sacrifices and gave him the name Carnea (for the horse was made of maple).
The priest Laocoont, seeing this horse and knowing the tricks of the Danaans, exclaimed: “Whatever it is, be afraid of the Danaans, even those who bring gifts!” (Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes!) and threw his spear at the horse. However, at that moment, 2 huge snakes crawled out of the sea and killed Laocoont and his two sons, since the god Poseidon himself wanted the destruction of Troy. The Trojans, not listening to the warnings of Laocoon and the prophetess Cassandra, dragged the horse into the city. Virgil’s hemistich “Fear the Danaans, even those who bring gifts,” often quoted in Latin (“Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes”), has become a proverb. This is where the phraseological unit “Trojan horse” arose, used to mean: a secret, insidious plan disguised as a gift.

Inside the horse sat 50 of the best warriors (according to the Little Iliad, 3000). According to Stesichorus, 100 warriors, according to others - 20, according to Tsets - 23, or only 9 warriors: Menelaus, Odysseus, Diomedes, Thersander, Sfenel, Acamant, Foant, Machaon and Neoptolemus. The names of all were listed by the poet Sakad of Argos. Athena gave the heroes ambrosia.
At night, the Greeks, hiding inside the horse, got out of it, killed the guards, opened the city gates, let in their comrades who had returned on ships, and thus took possession of Troy (“Odyssey” by Homer, 8, 493 et seq.; “Aeneid” by Virgil, 2, 15 et seq. Sl.).

Interpretations
According to Polybius, “almost all barbarian peoples, at least most of them, kill and sacrifice a horse either at the very beginning of a war, or before a decisive battle, in order to reveal a sign of the near future in the fall of the animal.”

According to the euhemeristic interpretation, in order to drag him in, the Trojans dismantled part of the wall, and the Hellenes took the city. According to the assumptions of some historians (found already with Pausanias), the Trojan Horse was actually a battering machine, used to destroy walls. According to Dareth, a horse’s head was simply sculptured on the Skeian Gate.
There was the tragedy of Jophon “The Destruction of Ilion”, the tragedy of an unknown author “The Departure”, the tragedies of Livius Andronicus and Naevius “The Trojan Horse”, as well as the poem of Nero “The Wreck of Troy”.

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
Ivic O. Troy. Five thousand years of reality and myth. M., 2017.
Gindin L. A. Population of Homeric Troy, 1993.
Gindin L. A., Tsymbursky V. L. Homer and the history of the Eastern Mediterranean. M., 1996.
Blegen K. Troy and the Trojans. M., 2002.
Schliemann G. Ilion. City and country of the Trojans. M., 2009, vol. I-II.
Schliemann G. Troy. M., 2010.
Treasures of Troy. From the excavations of Heinrich Schliemann. M., 2007.
History of the Ancient East, part 2. M., 1988.
Virkhov R. The ruins of Troy // Historical Bulletin, 1880. - T. 1. - No. 2. - P. 415-430.
Stone Irving, Greek Treasure. Biographical novel about Heinrich and Sophia Schliemann, 1975
Dictionary of geographical names of foreign countries / resp. ed. A. M. Komkov. — 3rd ed., revised. and additional - M.: Nedra, 1986. - P. 350.
Sights of Turkey.
Frolova N. Ephesus and Troy. - LitRes, 2013. - ISBN 9785457217829.

Troy is the setting for the legendary Trojan War, which is reflected in ancient Greek oral and literary traditions.

Historians are still debating the existence of Troy. Most are inclined to believe that Troy really existed, as this is confirmed by archaeological finds found on the site: some of them fit the description of Troy by Homer in the Iliad.

Troy is also called Hisarlika (Turkish name), Ilios or Ilia, as well as Ilium (as Homer called the city).

Mythological Troy

Troy is the main setting in Homer's Iliad; Let us recall that the work is dedicated to the last year of the Trojan War, which occurred in the 13th century BC. The war lasted 10 years: King Agamemnon of Mycenae, together with his allies, Greek troops, literally besieged the city. The purpose of the capture was to return Helen the Beautiful, wife of Menelaus, king of Argos and brother of Agamemnon.

The girl was kidnapped by the Trojan prince Paris, because at a beauty contest she was awarded the mercy of herself, who recognized Helen as the most beautiful woman living on earth.

Mentions of the Trojan War are also found in other literary sources: for example, in poems by several authors, as well as in Homer's Odyssey. Troy and later became one of the most popular stories in mythology and classical literature.

Homer describes Troy as a city surrounded by a strong, invincible wall. The Iliad also contains references to the fact that the city was fortified with high and steep walls with battlements at the ends.

The walls must have been unusually strong, since Troy was able to withstand a 10-year siege by the Greeks. The city could have been saved if the cunning Greeks had not come up with a horse move - and in the literal sense: the Danaans built a huge horse, which they seemed to give as a gift to the Trojans, but in fact the soldiers hid in it, and later were able to break into the city, defeating enemy forces.

It was known from Greek myths that the walls of Troy were so impressive that people believed that they were built by Poseidon and Apollo.

Archaeological finds of Troy

Existing from the Early Bronze Age (3000 BC) to the 12th century AD. the city, which is commonly called Troy, is located 5 km from the coast, but once it was located next to the sea.

The territory of Troy was limited by the bay created by the mouth of the Scamanda River, and the city occupied a strategically important position between the Aegean and Eastern civilizations, and also controlled access to the Black Sea, Anatolia and the Balkans - both on land and at sea.

The remains of the city of Troy were first discovered by Frank Calvert in 1863 AD, then the study of archaeological artifacts was continued by Heinrich Schliemann in 1870.

The scientist studied Troy for 20 years, until his death in 1890. Thus, Schliemann managed to discover an artificial hill 20 m high, which had remained untouched since antiquity. Schliemann's finds contained jewelry and vessels made of gold and silver, which were described as similar to those described by Homer in the Iliad.

However, all the artifacts were dated earlier and probably belonged to the period of Greek life before the Trojan War.

Excavations continued throughout the 20th century AD. and continue to this day.

According to the latest data, nine different cities could be located on the territory of the supposed city of Troy. Scientists have created a special classification, designating these cities with Roman numerals: from Troy I to Troy IX.

The history of Troy, according to historians, began with a small village. Then large buildings and fortification walls made of stone and brick appeared in it, later steep walls 8 meters high and 5 meters thick appeared (apparently, Homer mentioned them in the Iliad), the city occupied an area of 270,000 square meters.

The further fate of Troy is connected with fires and some major destruction - this is confirmed by archaeological finds.

The centuries-old existence of Troy influenced the development of arts and various crafts in neighboring cities: archaeologists often find replicas of jewelry, ceramics and military accessories created by craftsmen from other cities in the image and likeness of those that the Trojans once created.

An ancient settlement 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 version of 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

The disappeared city of Troy (Ilion) is an ancient city that existed for 3.5 thousand years, a fortress city, an ancient capital, one of the most legendary cities in the world with an epic history. Troy, like a phoenix, disappeared from the face of the earth more than once, but was always reborn. The Trojan War is only an episode in the long life of the city, but it glorified it for centuries. Troy, under the name Ilion, passed away only in the 4th century AD.

Troy is a major political center of the Troas 3 – 2 thousand BC. e. The disappeared city, the remains of Troy are located in the north-west of Asia Minor (modern Turkey), off the coast of the Dardanelles Strait, connecting the Aegean and Marmara seas. Known from Homer's ancient Greek epic about the Trojan War, the disappeared city was discovered in 1865 as a result of archaeological excavations of the Hissarlik hill by the German amateur archaeologist G. Schliemann.

The disappeared city of Troy was a fortified city already in 3000 - 2500. BC e. In 2600 - 2400 BC. The defensive walls of the city were 11 m thick. Residents were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding and knew copper smelting. After a fire around 2500 BC. e. The walls of the fortress were rebuilt and reinforced with towers. Around 2200 BC e. this ancient capital was again destroyed by fire. There was already a royal palace here then. It was located on the acropolis, on its lower slopes there were houses of the nobility. At this time, copper casting became widespread in Troy, and the production of woolen fabrics was developed, around 2400 BC. e. a potter's wheel appeared. Ceramic products created on the potter's wheel were often of bizarre shapes, likened to human figurines.

The disappeared city of Troy in 2400 - 2200. BC. was epically rich. This is evidenced by a treasure erroneously attributed by G. Schliemann to King Priam, who ruled Troy later, during the Trojan War.

The treasure was discovered in the ruins of the city wall. In the “treasure of Priam” there was a lot of jewelry made of gold and silver, including gold beads that once made up the chest pectoral, neck torcs, bracelets, earrings, temple rings, brooches-pins, a gold forehead band, two gold tiaras . The tiaras are decorated with suspended long chains with thin gold plates strung on them. Gold and electric goblets are attractive with their simple but distinctive shapes. There are no patterns on their clean surface. Among the weapons, ritual axes made from strong stones are distinguished by their craftsmanship. They are extremely simple in form. Their smooth polished surface combines favorably with the patterned ornament of the central part. Troy was destroyed again in 1800 BC. e.

By this time, the horse was also known in this legendary city, and new construction techniques and ceramics had spread. This suggested that the carriers of the new culture were the Greeks who settled in Troy. The city of this time was surrounded by walls of cut stone with towers and five skillfully defended gates. The economic status of Troy reached a high level thanks to the developed production of bronze.

Around 1260 BC e. Troy was destroyed and died in fire. This disaster is associated with the Trojan War. Revived after the departure of the Achaeans, the city retained the old cultural tradition, but became a less significant center. Around 1190 BC e. a new group of settlers from the northern regions of the Balkan Peninsula brought new forms of bronze weapons and molded utensils. Around 1100 BC e. Troy came under military attack, was destroyed, and only 400 years later, around 700 BC. e. The Greeks founded a city on the site of Troy, called New Ilion. Troy — there are probably few people in the world who have not heard the name of this legendary city at least once in their lives, who have not heard of the famous Trojan horse , which abruptly changed course Trojan War . Starting from Homer's Iliad , which abruptly changed course, which describes the fifty-one days of the last year , O Troy Around 1260 BC e. Troy was destroyed and died in fire. This disaster is associated with the Trojan War. Revived after the departure of the Achaeans, the city retained the old cultural tradition, but became a less significant center. Around 1190 BC e. a new group of settlers from the northern regions of the Balkan Peninsula brought new forms of bronze weapons and molded utensils. Around 1100 BC e. Troy came under military attack, was destroyed, and only 400 years later, around 700 BC. e. The Greeks founded a city on the site of Troy, called New Ilion. a lot has been said and written. Around 1260 BC e. Troy was destroyed and died in fire. This disaster is associated with the Trojan War. Revived after the departure of the Achaeans, the city retained the old cultural tradition, but became a less significant center. Around 1190 BC e. a new group of settlers from the northern regions of the Balkan Peninsula brought new forms of bronze weapons and molded utensils. Around 1100 BC e. Troy came under military attack, was destroyed, and only 400 years later, around 700 BC. e. The Greeks founded a city on the site of Troy, called New Ilion. has always interested and continues to interest a variety of scientists: archaeologists, historians, writers and local historians. Did you know that ?

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Where is Troy? Troy on the map

« Around 1260 BC e. Troy was destroyed and died in fire. This disaster is associated with the Trojan War. Revived after the departure of the Achaeans, the city retained the old cultural tradition, but became a less significant center. Around 1190 BC e. a new group of settlers from the northern regions of the Balkan Peninsula brought new forms of bronze weapons and molded utensils. Around 1100 BC e. Troy came under military attack, was destroyed, and only 400 years later, around 700 BC. e. The Greeks founded a city on the site of Troy, called New Ilion." And " Ilion"two different names for the same mighty city in Asia Minor, at the entrance to the strait. The city was located on an ancient maritime trade route that connected the Aegean Sea with the Marmara and Black Seas. Around 1260 BC e. Troy was destroyed and died in fire. This disaster is associated with the Trojan War. Revived after the departure of the Achaeans, the city retained the old cultural tradition, but became a less significant center. Around 1190 BC e. a new group of settlers from the northern regions of the Balkan Peninsula brought new forms of bronze weapons and molded utensils. Around 1100 BC e. Troy came under military attack, was destroyed, and only 400 years later, around 700 BC. e. The Greeks founded a city on the site of Troy, called New Ilion. occupied a dominant position over the strait and this allowed the city to become a key center of trade between East and West during the Bronze Age.

Location of Troy

According to Homer, a river flowed near the city Scamander and Simoes. The Scamander River (Turkish Karamenderes) originates on the slopes of the mountains Ida, which are now called Kaz-Dag. When Troy was first founded, it was located on the shores of the bay of the same name. But what we see today is no longer a bay but a large plain because the alluvial sediments of the rivers Scamander and Simoes gradually accumulated and over the course of many centuries these river sediments practically filled the bay. Nowadays, the ruins of ancient Troy are located 30 km from the city Çanakkale, near the village of Tevfikiye.

Excavations of Troy and the “Treasure of Priam”

For a long time the very existence , O considered a myth or invention of Homer and the exact location , O No one knew. Geographical descriptions given in Homer's Iliad, led some scientists to suggest that the ruins , O may be in the north-west of Asia Minor, somewhere at the entrance to (on the territory of modern Turkey). In 1870, the famous self-taught archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, having received permission from the then Ottoman authorities, began excavations in the northwestern part of the hill Hisarlik(near the city Canakkale). May 31, 1873 Schliemann a treasure was discovered, which he hastily named "Priam's Treasure". Later it turned out that this was not "Priam's Treasure", because the age of the treasure was a thousand years older than the times described by the blind poet Homer.

Golden tiara from the Prima Treasure Left - Sophia Schliemann posing in a tiara (1874)

According to the Ottoman government's permit for excavation rights Hisarlik, Schliemann was obliged to transfer half of the finds to. But he hid the treasures from the Turkish authorities and smuggled them to Greece. In 1881, after unsuccessful attempts to sell the treasures to the world's largest museums, Schliemann donated them to the city of Berlin, which allowed him to become an honorary citizen of Berlin. Since 1945 Trojan treasure, taken as a trophy during the Second World War, is located in Moscow at the Pushkin Museum. A.S. Pushkin.

Many still doubt that Schliemann discovered the very Troy, but one way or another, most scientists today are inclined to believe that Schliemann was still right, “Troy has been excavated, and there is no second.”

Sights of Troy

Due to its strategic location, after every devastating war or devastating earthquake, the city was restored and life in Three started again. That's why these days archaeological site represents nine main cultural layers, which belong to different eras. Troy is one of the most famous archaeological sites in Turkey both in the world and included in.

Cultural layers of Troy

Troy I

The oldest archaeological traces of Troy date back to 2900 - 2500. BC e. Troy I was a small settlement and even at the height of its existence had a diameter of only 100 m. Despite its modest size, Troy I had a fortress with massive walls, gates and towers made of rough stone. This settlement existed for almost five centuries and, most likely, was destroyed by fire.

Troy II

Despite the fact that Troy I was destroyed by fire, arose on the site of the ashes Troy II represents the rebirth of a lost city. The second cultural layer of Troy (2500-2300 BC) is one of the most impressive archaeological sites of the Early Bronze Age. Many treasures were discovered in this layer, including the treasure discovered by Schliemann, which he hastily called the “Treasure of Priam.” All these treasures of gold, silver, bronze and copper indicate active trading activity in the city. However, Troy II also collapsed, but as a result of a sudden attack, as evidenced by the discovered traces of deliberate destruction.

Troy III, IV and V

Troy III, IV and V are already larger settlements that existed from 2300-1800. BC e. Over the centuries, the city's citadel has grown, but there are no concrete traces of the city's development; on the contrary, traces of the city's decline have been discovered. In these settlements there are already groups of small houses standing close to one another, separated by small streets. Troy V was again destroyed by fire.

Troy VI and VII

During this period, a new royal palace-citadel was built in Troy. In size, the new citadel surpassed not only the old one, but also any other in western Asia Minor. Made of hewn stone and reinforced with massive towers, the new fortress walls of the city were 4 to 5 m thick. All this testifies to wealth, prosperity and power , O in this period. But large vertical faults on the fortress wall in the VI cultural layer of Troy(1800-1250 BC) , indicate that a strong earthquake occurred. After the earthquake, life began to emerge again at the site of the destroyed settlement. The Trojan War and the events mentioned by Homer in the Iliad refer to either Troy VI or Troy VII (1250-1025 BC).

Troy VIII and IX

According to modern scientists, the Greeks settled Troy, abandoned after the war, 250 years later, that is, during the life of Homer. At first, a small settlement arose on the site of old Troy, then the city grew. On the territory of Troy there was a temple to Athena, as well as a sanctuary for sacrifices (900-85 BC). According to Arrian (ancient Greek historian and geographer), he made a pilgrimage to Troy and visited the temple of Athena. From the Temple of Athena, only a few fragments of altars and marble fragments have reached us. With the growing power of the Roman state, a legend arose that it was the descendants of the Trojan Aeneas who founded Rome. That's why the Romans honored Troy. Gaius Julius Caesar ordered the expansion of the temple of Athena after his visit there in 48 BC. Augustus, who replaced him, also ordered the construction of a bouleuterion (council hall) and an odion for musical performances in the “sacred Ilium”.