3 Best Sights in Troy (Truva), The Sea of Marmara and the North Aegean

Written about in Homer's epic, the Iliad, and long thought to be a figment of the Greek poet's imagination, Troy was, nevertheless, found and subsequently excavated in the 1870s by Heinrich Schliemann. Although the wooden horse outside is a modern nod to Homer's epics, the city walls are truly ancient.

The richness of your experience at Troy will depend on your own knowledge (or imagination) or the knowledge and English-language skills of a guide. You might find the site highly evocative, with its remnants of massive, rough-hewn walls and its strategic views over the coastal plains—where the battles of the Trojan War were supposedly fought—to the sea. Or you might consider it an unimpressive row of trenches with piles of earth and stone.

A site plan shows the general layout of the city, which is surprisingly small, and marks the beginning of a signposted path leading to key features from several historical periods. The best-preserved features are from the Roman city, with its bouleuterion (council chamber), the site's most complete structure, and small theater.

Heading south from Troy, you'll pass through Ezine or Geyikli. In either case you'll see a signpost for Bozcaada, one of the two Aegean islands that belong to Turkey. If you have time, spare a day for this island (though you'll probably then want to spare another), with its unspoiled harbor town, beautiful old houses, pristine sandy beaches, and lovely vineyard-covered countryside. The local wine may be the best you'll taste in Turkey without having to spend a fortune.

The Troy Museum sits at the entrance of the archeological site and was the government’s primary initiative for 2018’s Year of Troy. The impressive building, standing at the pre-excavation height of ancient Troy, brings to life more than 5,000 years of history in seven sections, including Troas Area Archeology, The Iliad and Trojan War, and Troas and Ilion in Antiquity. Some 2,000 artifacts range from gold jewelry to sarcophagi, weapons, tear bottles, and sculptures. Because the museum provides perspective on the history and significance of the entire region, with exhibits on the history of Assos and other nearby cities, it's an excellent place to start your exploration of other areas in the Northern Aegean as well as of the ruins.