Turkish Delights (Part 2) - Troy

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It was finding Tony Robinson's tales of the Trojan War (1986?) that really inspired my love of the classical world and started me on my journey as both an archaeologist and, I suppose, as a wargamer. Troy has always hovered on the edge of my hobby interests - often seeping into the centre, and I have built contemporary armies in three different scales in my time, 15mm Mycenaeans, 6mm Minoans, and most recently 28mm Trojans. Visiting the site really was going on pilgrimage, and getting to do it on a perfect day with the very finest of people (certainly in the top 5...) was truly amazing.

There are 10 layers at Troy - I-VIIa are Bronze Age, VIII is Hellenistic, IX is Roman, and X is Byzantine. Most noise is made about Troy VI which would be the best match for the Troy of the Iliad, but it is all very impressive.

Troy II
The grand entrance into the Troy II citadel.

A wee sally port(?) off to the left of the Troy II entrance.

Troy VI
Northeast bastion.

More fortifications!

Principal thoroughfare into the citadel.

Even more fortifications!

Troy IX
The little (but perfectly formed) theatre.

Also... the place is coming down with cats, tortoises and red squirrels!







Comments

  1. Mark from Thailland7 Apr 2024, 15:35:00

    So that’s where you’ve been ;). Thanks for rhe great photos. I had thought the ruins of Troy were poretty much a post-Schlieman bombsite, but clearly there’s much more to it. Also interesting to see the construction was of smaller stones, not the huge blocks one finds in Mycenae etc on the Greek mainland.

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    1. Nic7 Apr 2024, 15:44:00

      Yes, there are a lot of folk online (Trip Advisor type sites) complaining that there is not a lot to see. I think they are expecting to see the Acropolis or the Hagia Sophia. Troy is not like that. But there is sooooo much there.

      And also yes, no cyclopean walls like at Mycenae - and the top tiers may well have been mudbrick.

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  2. Prufrock9 Apr 2024, 09:37:00

    I was lucky enough to go there in 2006. Definitely a highlight!

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