A major exhibition opening this week at Rome’s Colosseum aims to shed new light on the ancient city of Troy and its Anatolian heritage. The event, titled “Troy and Rome,” features more than 220 artefacts loaned by Turkey, including over 100 items from the Troy Museum. The exhibition will run until mid-October and seeks to emphasize Troy’s cultural and historical connections to the Anatolian region.

Located on Turkey’s Aegean coast, the archaeological site of Troy, a UNESCO World Heritage site, covers roughly 185 hectares and consists of layered ruins representing nine different settlements dating back to 3000 BC. Troy remained continuously inhabited until it was abandoned in the sixth century AD. Reyhan Korpe, deputy head of the Troy excavations and an expert in ancient history at Canakkale University, described the city as “the most western part of eastern civilization,” highlighting its role as a historic crossroads.

The Trojan War, traditionally dated around 1200 BC and famously recounted in Homer’s Iliad, ended with the city’s decade-long siege and fall. Korpe described the conflict as “the first confrontation between the East and the West,” likening it to an early form of a world war between the Anatolian peoples and the Greeks. The area later gained further historical significance during World War I, as the Dardanelles witnessed intense fighting.

Among the artefacts on display is a bronze seal bearing Luwian hieroglyphics, discovered in 1995—a significant find as it represents the only writing in an Anatolian language found at the site. Sinem Duzgoren, director of the Troy Museum, noted that this seal confirms the Luwians, an ancient Anatolian people associated with the Hittite empire, were the original inhabitants of Troy’s early settlements. Troy itself was part of the Hittite realm and is believed to correspond to Wilusa, the name used in Hittite texts, while the Greeks referred to it as Ilion or Ilios.

The exhibition also includes a substantial collection of weapons—sling stones, knives, spears, and arrowheads—dating to the same period described by Homer. Duzgoren emphasized that while these items are less visually spectacular than some other finds, they carry substantial historical importance as tangible evidence of Troy’s martial history.

The iconic 12-tonne Trojan Horse replica overlooking Canakkale’s port, originally constructed for the 2004 film “Troy” starring Brad Pitt, anchors the site’s modern cultural appeal. Although the film sparked increased interest in Troy, Korpe noted that the filmmakers did not visit the archaeological site during production, which coincided with the period of some of the most significant discoveries. Despite this, tourism at Troy has grown, with visitors often drawn by the film’s popular portrayal of the ancient legend.