Canakkale Hotel - Troy

Troy (Truva, Troia, Tros), which is one of the most important touristical spots of Canakkale, It is located at the mount ‘Hisarlik’, where the Dardanelles strait join with the Agean Sea. The ancient city Troy is about 32 Km. away from the city of Canakkale Turkey. Troy is a city which existed over 4000 years and known as the center of ancient civilizations. Many years, people believed that it was the city in tales and never existed until it was first found. Different names, depending on the period, were given to Troy such as Ilion or, in Latin, Ilium. Troy can be considered as one of the world’s most important archaeological sites because of its fame in the literature giving tips about a critical early period in the development of European civilization. Archaeologists have been excavating here since the 1870's and have found evidence of nine different settlements built on top of each other at different periods since the Bronze Age.

The ancient city Troy was selected as the World Cultural Heritage by international legislative bodies. Wooden Horse and the Archilles' Hell come from here. Many years, people believed that it was the city in tales and never existed until it was first found. Troy is famous for several reasons. It is a site that was continually occupied from the early Bronze Age to early Byzantine times. It is also associated with the sagas of the Trojan War written by Homer in ‘the iliad and odyssey’, which is the foundation stones of European literature. Homer immortalized Troy (Truva) in his stories of King Priam, Hector, Paris and the beautiful Helen.

The excavations in the site can be traced back to 1870s, which can be considered as another historical event by its own. From 1988 onwards, excavations have been directed by Professor Manfred Korfman of Tubingen University in Germany in the sponsorhip of Daimler – Benz, who received the UNESCO "Media Save Art" award in the area of sponsoring. Archaelogical digs have revealled nine cities with various ruins of city walls, typical house- foundations, a temple and a theather. After nine cities were unearthed, those have been subdivided into 46 strata. A symbolic wooden Trojan horse commemorates the legandary war. Unfortunately the famous Trojan treasures were stolen by Heinrich Schliemann, the famous archaeologist, in his excavation period in 1870s and now it is subject to the great efforts of the Turkish Government to return back those treasures from the Pushkin museum in Moscow.

In the history, Troy was destroyed many times and rebuilt. Until now archeologists have founded 9 level of Troy lebeled fron I to IX. Perhaps many other levels are still hidden in it. Nine cities or Nine layers of Troy are universally accepted as Troy I (3000 – 2500 B.C.) Troy II (2500 – 2200 B.C.), Troy III ( 2200 – 2050 B.C. ), Troy IV ( 2052 – 1900 B. C. ), Troy V ( 1900 – 1800 B. C. ), Troy VI ( 1800 – 1300 B.C. ), Troy VI A ( 1300 – 1260 B.C. ), Troy VII B 1 ( 1260 – 1190 B. C. ) : Troy VII B 2 (1190 – 110 B.C.) Troy VIII ( 700 – 350 B. C. ) Troy IX (350 – 400 A. D. )

In the Bronze age, Troy had a great power because of its strategic location between Europe and Asia. Between 3000 - 2000 B. C., Troy was a cultural centre. After the Trojan War , the site was apparently abondoned. About 700 B. C., Greek settlers occupied the Troas. Troy was resettled and named Ilion (ilion) . At the time, Ilium or Ilion was regarded as a 'sacred' city which attracted pilgrims by the fame of its wars and its woes, and by the shadow of ancient sanctity resposing upon it. Alexander the Great ruled over the area successively from the late 6th century B . C. . After the Romans captured Troy in 85 B. C., it was partially rebuilt. After the occupation of Constantinopole ( Istanbul ), Troy lost its importance.

The famous Troijan war which was written by Homer in the iliad and odyssey

This is the legendary war between the Greeks and the people of Troy, which was narrated by Homer. Paris and his brother Hector, the sons of King Priamos, visited Menelaos, the King of Sparta. Paris seduced the beautiful queen Helen of Sparta and abducted Helen away to Troy in the dark of night with his ship. Later on, King Menelaus get very angry and persuaded his brother Agamemnon to lead an army against. In order to win favorable winds for the journey, Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to Artemis. The winds came and the fleet set sail for Trojan War, which lasted for ten years. After the failure of The Spartans to capture the Troy, a devious plan was decided. A big wooden horse were built, which was filled with their best warriors. Spartans was seen as giving up the siege of Troy and returning back to their homes. The Trojans, who were watching the situation from the towers went out of their castle, victoriously shouting and took the horse into the city as a war loot. Big celebrations were performed at night by the people of Troy. When everybody get drunk in Troy, the warriors inside the wooden horse got out and attacked the soldiers of Troy. In a few hours time, Troy was conquered by Spartans.