Troy (Truva)

Aegean, Turkey 22 tours visit here

Troy stands on the mound of Hisarlik in northwestern Turkey, near the point where the Dardanelles opens into the Aegean and a short drive from Canakkale. Famed as the setting of Homer's Iliad and the legendary Trojan War, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose excavated layers, first opened up in the 1870s by Heinrich Schliemann, record more than 3,000 years of settlement from the Early Bronze Age to Roman times. What survives is an archaeological site rather than a standing city: sloping stone ramparts and defensive walls, gateways and a paved ramp, house foundations and a small Roman-period odeon, cut through by deep trenches that expose the superimposed levels. A signposted walkway loops the mound, with views over the Trojan plain. The large wooden horse near the entrance is a modern replica. Most visits last an hour or two and are combined with the Troy Museum in nearby Tevfikiye, where the finds and excavation history are displayed. Troy is usually seen as a day trip from Canakkale or as a stop between Istanbul and the Aegean coast, often paired with Gallipoli. The site is open and unshaded, so spring and autumn, or early in the day in summer, suit it best.