Troy, located approximately 350 km southwest of Istanbul, is an ancient city of legends, wars, controversies, and unknowns. Immortalized by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey, it was famously rediscovered in 1870 by Heinrich Schliemann—an archaeologist obsessed with proving the historicity of the Trojan War.
Though Schliemann unearthed a treasure in Troy II and believed it belonged to King Priam, modern scholars now think the Homeric Troy likely corresponds to layers VIh or VIIa (circa 1300–1180 BCE). The site—near the modern village of Hisarlik, 30 km from Çanakkale—reveals nine successive layers of settlement, dating back as far as 3000 BCE.
Troy’s significance stems from its strategic position at the entrance to the Dardanelles, just 1.5 km wide at that point. This allowed the city to control vital maritime trade between the Aegean and Black Seas and to interact with both Hittite and Greek civilizations. It was a port city flanked by Mount Ida, and any force moving from Europe into Anatolia had to contend with Troy first—explaining its repeated destruction and rebuilding over millennia.
Despite Schliemann’s controversial removal of artifacts (now largely scattered or lost), excavations continue today, revealing deeper insights into Anatolia’s ancient past. Troy remained culturally relevant through the Hellenistic and Roman periods but gradually faded after Constantinople became the Eastern Roman capital in the 4th century CE.
Visitors can reach Troy via daily tours from Istanbul or Çanakkale. The archaeological site includes a striking replica of the Trojan Horse and offers panoramic views of the surrounding plains and straits.