Troy - the city described by Homer in his poem "The Iliad" is an ancient fortified settlement of Asia Minor, located off the coast of the Aegean Sea, near the entrance to the Dardanelles. Holidays in Turkey, do not miss the chance to see this grand city and once again recall the events described by Homer. In the ruins of Troy, you can visit several archaeological sites belonging to certain cultural strata, and learn features of life of the people who inhabited this land.

Excavations of the ancient city began in 1870, a German amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann and entrepreneur. From childhood he was fascinated by the story of Troy, and was convinced of the existence of this settlement. Excavations began on a hillside near the village of Hissarlik. There were discovered the ruins of the nine cities located one above the other. Archaeologist have found a large number of objects made of bone, stone, copper and precious metals. In the depths of the hill Heinrich Schliemann came across a very old fortress, which confidently called a hail of Priam. After Schliemann's death in 1890 the work was continued by his colleague Wilhelm Dörpfeld. In 1893 and 1894, he unearthed a vast perimeter of Troy VI. That this city belongs to the Mycenaean era, and because he was found Homer's Troy. On the territory of this cultural layer, bearing clear signs of a fire, is now carried out the most extensive excavations.

In ancient times, Troy has played a leading role in the region both from the military and from the economic point of view. She had a large fortress and defensive fort on the sea, which gave her the opportunity to control the movement of ships across the Hellespont and the roads connecting Asia and Europe on land. The ruler of the city levied a tax or smuggled goods did not miss them. This led to numerous conflicts in the region, which began in the Bronze Age. Economic and cultural ties that have linked Troy period not with the East and the West and the Aegean civilization. The city was inhabited almost continuously for three and a half millennia.

Archaeological excavations it is known that most of the buildings of Troy were built on low stone foundations and their walls were built of mud bricks. When buildings were destroyed and their debris is not cleared and leveled just a place for the construction of new buildings. In the ruins of Troy distinguish 9 main layers having their units. Features settlements from different eras can be described as follows.

The first city was a small fortress, the diameter of which does not exceed 90 meters. The construction had a strong defensive wall with square towers and gates. Pottery of this period is a polished gray and black colors and molded without using a potter's wheel. There are tools out of copper.

On the ruins of the first castle was built a big stronghold with a diameter of about 125 meters. She also had a high, thick walls, gates and tower speakers. To the south-east side of the fortress led ramp. Defensive wall twice subjected to restoration and expanded with the growth of power and wealth of the city. In the center of the fortress, the ruins of the palace with a beautiful portico and a huge main hall. The palace was surrounded by a courtyard with small living quarters and warehouses. The seven stages of existence of Troy II formed by overlapping architectural layers. In the last stage the settlement died in the flames so intense that the heat from its stone and brick crumbled and turned to dust. Judging by the large number of found property and household items, the fire was sudden and the inhabitants of the city had not anything to take with.

Populations Troy III, IV and V consist of small clusters of houses separated from each other by narrow streets. Each of them is superior to the previous size. These periods are represented vessels with stucco images of the human face. Along with local products and imported products are found, typical of the Greek mainland.

The first stages of settlement VI marked evidence of horses. At this time the city was very rich and powerful. The diameter of its fortress more than 180 m, and the width of the wall, built of hewn stone, was about 5 meters. Along the perimeter of the citadel of at least four gates and three towers. Inside settlement concentric circles located large buildings and palaces with columns, climbing terraces toward the center of the hill. The culmination of this era was a very strong earthquake, which covered the walls cracked and brought themselves structure. At all subsequent stages of Troy VI main type of local pottery production remained gray Minoan pottery, which complements several amphorae brought from Greece and vessels imported into the Mycenaean era.

Later, this area was inhabited again. Again, it was used the remaining parts of the walls and building blocks. Now the house is already built smaller, they clung to each other, so that the fortress fit a lot more people. The floors of the houses are now stored large jugs of supplies in the event of a public disaster. The first period of Troy VII was burned, but the population has returned and again settled on the hill. Later joined by other residents of the tribe, who brought with them made without a potter's wheel ceramics, which indicates the connection of Troy with Europe. Now it has become the Greek city. Troy was a fairly well-developed in the first period, but to the 6th century BC part of the population left the city, and it fell into disrepair. On the southwest slope of the Acropolis remains of the Temple of Athena at the time.

In the Hellenistic period this place did not matter, except for the associated memory of the heroic past. In 334 BC Alexander the Great made a pilgrimage to this city. His successors, and the Roman emperors Julio - Claudian held a large-scale reconstruction of the city. Cut the top of the hill, and leveled, so that VI, VII and VIII of the layers of Troy appeared mixed. It built a temple of Athena on the holy site. A little further south on level ground, and were surrounded by a wall erected public buildings, and in the north-eastern slope was built a large theater. In the era of Constantine the Great, the city flourished, and even the governor was going to make it the capital, but the settlement again lost its importance with the rise of Constantinople.

These days, the area around Troy has changed beyond recognition. Silt local rivers flowing into the bay shoreline moved several kilometers to the north. Now the ruins of the ancient city are on a dry hill. A group of scientists conducted the dating of fossils found in soil taken from the valley of two rivers, using radiocarbon dating methods. From these data, the researchers were able to determine the topography of the area in the age of Homer.

Now in the excavation was completed restoration of the famous Trojan Horse and tourists visiting Turkey, a unique opportunity to discover this masterpiece of wood, exactly corresponding to the description of Homer. Trojan horse, which once helped the Achaeans cunning to capture the city, is now the site of the original panorama. Unfortunately, except for the layout horse, there is little that can attract the eye of the traveler. It is believed that this place is one of the great stories of the world, so will be sufficient just to be saturated with this atmosphere.