It was Easter break in 2019, and my dad and I had decided to spend it in Turkey. It was one of those trips that started out quietly but ended up etching itself into memory forever. One of the must-see spots for my history-buff dad was the ancient city of Troy. So, before heading to Cappadocia, we decided to take a day trip from Istanbul to visit this legendary city of ruins.
To get to ‘Truva’ (Troy in Turkish) we had to first get to Çanakkale by road, which would take roughly five hours with a stop. We decided to join a small group of tourists, all travelling together in a minivan. It was early start. I was still half-asleep, but there was something magical about seeing Istanbul that early, before the usual chaos of traffic and crowds took over. The streets were hushed, the sky still smudged with the remnants of dawn. Even though my body was in that groggy, autopilot state, my eyes were open just enough to take it all in.
About two hours into our journey, we stopped at this roadside rest area for breakfast. Nothing fancy, just a traditional Turkish spread, some fresh simit (those circular bread rings covered in sesame seeds), some cheese, olives and endless tulip-shaped glasses of strong, black Turkish tea that slowly but surely woke me up. By the time we piled back into the van, I was fully awake and starting to feel the quiet buzz of excitement build.
The drive was beautiful. We alternated between hugging the coastline with its sparkling blue waters and cutting inland through rolling hills dotted with small villages where life seemed to move at a completely different pace. When the Sea of Marmara began to narrow into the Dardanelles strait, we could actually see the Asian side of Turkey, Anatolia, across the strait. Our van drove onto a massive ferry to cross over to the Anatolian side, and everyone spilled out onto the deck during the crossing.
Finally, around midday, we arrived at the Çanakkale, our gateway to the Ancient City of Troy. It was another half-hour drive before we finally reached our destination. Before even entering the archaeological site, we were greeted by a huge wooden replica the legendary Trojan Horse. My dad couldn’t stop smiling when he saw the Trojan Horse. He told me he’d first learned about it in school and had always wanted to visit someday. And now here we were, dream fulfilled! I too couldn’t help feeling a little thrill standing next to this symbol of one of history’s most famous stories. The horse stands overlooking a stunning landscape, you can see the Aegean coast from the windows within.
Walking through the actual archaeological site was surreal. Our guide explained that what we were seeing wasn’t just one city but nine different settlements built on top of each other over thousands of years. The earliest layer dates back to around 3000 BC. Each time a city was destroyed by war, fire, or earthquake, they just built a new one on top of the ruins.
What really struck me was touching the massive stone walls that date back more than 3,000 years, the very walls that might have been standing during the alleged Trojan War. There’s something humbling about placing your hands on stones that were placed there by people long gone. I kept trying to imagine what daily life would have been like for the people who called this place home.
Our guide walked us through the different sections of the site, pointing out what remained of the Temple of Athena. The most exciting part for me was standing at what’s believed to be the Gate of Troy VI, supposedly where the Trojan Horse would have been brought into the city. The later additions to the site were equally fascinating, there’s a well-preserved Roman bath complex and this beautiful little Odeon where music performances and poetry readings would have been held. By late afternoon, the crowds had thinned out, and there was a peaceful stillness across the ruins. I separated from our group for a bit just to wander and take it all in.
Our tour wrapped up around 5 PM, and after one last look at the landscape bathed in the warm light of the setting sun, we boarded our van for the journey back to Istanbul. Most people dozed off during the return trip, exhausted from the day of walking and information overload, but I stayed awake for a while, watching the countryside slip by in the twilight and processing everything I’d seen. We arrived back in Istanbul around 10 PM, and even though I was tired, my mind was buzzing with images and stories from the day. Next stop: Cappadocia (blog coming soon!).