Ancient Troy

Story by Dawnelle Salant

It's not necessary to have a role in Warner Bros. Pictures' latest hit to visit the famed city of Troy. Ruins of the ancient city actually exist near Turkey's western coastline. You might not see a scantily clad Brad Pitt gallivanting around here, but the site is definitely worth a visit.

Some people are disappointed by Troy because it lacks the splendor of the Roman ruins found in the rest of the country. Granted, there is not as much magnificent marble to gape at, but the extraordinary beauty of the city lies partially in the fact that it is 4,000 years old. A guided tour of Troy (Truva in Turkish) is a must; the guides can point out the seemingly inconsequential areas of the city which are actually quite important and interesting.

What enchanted me about Troy was its history and the way our guide talked about the ruins - he loves the city and it shows. Our tour started off at the Trojan Horse — obviously, it's not the real one, but you'd be surprised by how many people ask. Sadly enough, the giant wooden horse was placed here because of the many complaints that there is nothing significant to look at and to photograph at Troy. The huge equine statue is hollow and you can climb to the top — if you can fight your way past the giddy children.

To enter the city, you walk down a dirt road flanked by the city's thick walls. Big square chunks of stone piled on top of each other comprise the famed walls. Green grass peeks out from between the cracks. Still reaching over three stories high in some places, the walls were slanted to prevent earthquake damage. The guide pointed out a section of wall that's one of the five oldest walls in the world still standing.

Nine levels of the ancient city have been unearthed. The earliest dates back to 3000 B.C. Troy I, the oldest level, was destroyed by an earthquake and has significant cracks in its foundation. Troy II, once thought to be the Troy of Homer's Iliad, was burned down. Even today there is some discrepancy as to which level was King Priam's Troy of the Trojan War. The majority of experts agree that it was Troy VII, but some still believe it to be Troy VI.

Distinguishable structures within the ruins are labelled, and the various levels of the ancient city are clearly marked. Our guide pointed out the gates that most experts agree are where the famous Trojan horse would have been left. Not far from here sits the small, semi-circular theatre, which is probably the most well- preserved part of the city. Its stone seats have been restored to the way they likely looked thousands of years ago.

Tourists must follow a designated path and certain areas are roped off to prevent damage to the areas that are still being excavated. Outside the rope, bright red poppies grow wild and add a splash of colour to the grey stone and brown earth that make up most of the site. In some areas, the ruins consist solely of what seems to be merely pebbles randomly deposited in the dry earth. Beyond the tourist path, carved boulders scattered on the grass hint at greatness, but it takes the expert eyes of the guide to bring the city to life and relate its amazing history.

At one time, experts agreed that Homer's poetry was based on legend, not actual history, and the city of Troy was believed to be nonexistent. The discovery of these ruins 30km from the Turkish city of Canakkale in 1871 quickly changed popular opinion. The remnants of a city unearthed here matched the description and location of Troy accurately.

Before this finding, the small number of archaeologists who did believe Troy to exist, thought it to be located on a Turkish hill called Bunarbashi, situated a few miles inland of the Aegean Sea. Heinrich Schlieman, a German archaeologist, was convinced that this hill was not the true site of the famous city. Bunarbashi wasn't compatible with many of the geographic clues given in the Iliad. The hill was too far from the sea and Mount Ida was not visible from here. Furthermore, a steep drop on one side would have prevented Achilles from chasing Hector around the walls, as documented in the Iliad.

In 1871, equipped with clues from Homer's epic poem, Schlieman discovered another hill, Hissarlik. Its location strongly corresponded to what was known about Troy. Hissarlik was four miles from the sea, Mount Ida was visible from this hill, and the ground in the area was flat enough for Achilles to have chased Hector around the walls. Schlieman received permission to dig here — but at his own expense. He unearthed what experts today agree are the authentic remains of Troy. Unfortunately, Schlieman was a bit of a treasure hunter and destroyed much of the ruins during his greedy excavation of the city.

I visited the ruins of Troy before the blockbuster movie was released, and I have to admit I was a little apprehensive to see how the mighty city would be portrayed. The surrounding area and beach were represented quite realistically, although the city in the movie appeared to be more than ten times the size of the actual ruins that the city left behind. We'll likely never know the exact truths of this mysterious city, and the legends that surround it. But being able to walk on the celebrated ground, and see remnants of a city so ancient, is an experience not to be missed.