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Troy Story

A trip to explore the interlinked towns of Gallipoli, Çanakkale and Troy unearths legends... and memories of World War I

Turkey was recovering from a bout of unpleasant events when I decided to return - to see its historical side that I had missed on my earlier trips. On my current list were Troy and Gallipoli - for no particular reason other than a newly-developed interest in the history of Turkey and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Taking Google's cue, I opted for a two-day package tour that took care of transport from Istanbul and offered me a guide (communication can be an absolute nightmare if Turkish is not your language of expediency). A nicely-put-together package it was, too - a large van to share with only an Australian couple, thanks to tourists keeping away from the country at the time.
An early morning start, and a long drive along the coastline of Marmara Sea (on the European side) later, we arrived at Eceabat and sat down to an excellent lunch of fish procured from the Dardanelle strait we sat looking at. While the deep blue water of the Dardanelles rose and fell at our feet, we dug into the fishy goodness it produced.

Gallipoli: A peninsula of statues
This trip was really a walk through history. Our young and knowledgeable guide gave us every detail of Turkey's glorious, albeit volatile, past - beginning with Gallipoli and then moving to Troy (which we were going to see the following day).
We left for the tour of Gallipoli peninsula and its fascinating sites, which included the Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ari Burnu Cemetery, ANZAC Commemoration Site, Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston's Jolly (Turkish and Allied trenches and tunnels) and The Nek, among others. We had five hours to explore 14 sights - and our guide assured us it was enough to educate a mind ignorant of history. I swear he looked at me as he said this.
We stopped by ANZAC Cove on the Gallipoli peninsula, now a beautiful stretch on the Saros Bay. This had been the landing site for the Allied forces of France and Britain during WWI for an attempted capture of Istanbul (then Constantinople) to get through to Russia, which had taken a beating from the Turks. The bigger plan had been to capture the entire Gallipoli peninsula with a military force that comprised of New Zealander, Australian, French, British and Indian soldiers. Unfortunate circumstances (and history is witness to this) led to the death of thousands from both sides and the fallen soldiers now lie buried in the many war cemeteries in the area.
April 25 has come to be known as ANZAC Day; on this day, every year, scores of tourists from New Zealand and Australia visit Gallipoli to pay respects to their fallen men and take in the beauty of the surrounding areas - as the couple who shared my van did. Their knowledge of the war was commendable too and, when not discussing life on an Australian farm, they were engaged in a profound conversation with the young guide.
From one war cemetery to the next, we moved in the van, and I am guilty of drifting off from time to time, eager to take pictures of different sights, especially the trenches of Johnston Jolly, which gave an insight into the war that
took place on the ground we were standing on. It took me back in time, and almost made me feel like I was in the middle of a battle.
The Lone Pine Cemetery was particularly interesting; a lone pine tree stands tall there - perhaps, it had many a sad tale to tell. It is the site where most of the Australian soldiers were buried. As a traveller, you are going to be introduced to many statues or sculptures of both Turkish and Commonwealth soldiers and each add to the effect. The peninsula has over 50 memorials and over 30 cemeteries.

The Çanakkale chapter
Late in the evening, we boarded the ferry to cross to Çanakkale on the Asian side of the Dardanelle, our stop for the night. The town of Çanakkale in itself may not hold a tourist's interest for long, but what it does have is a traditional Turkish charm hard to find in the more touristy cities of Turkey. Also, this is the place of the more 'believable' version of the legendary Trojan horse - a gift from the makers of the film Troy in 2004, compared to the rather stuffy version at Troy itself, of the same gigantic size but far less imaginative.
The residents of this seaside town are dependent on fishing and tourism but the cobbled streets of the old town briefly hold your attention with its few examples of Ottoman
architecture and houses. The clock tower is another attraction, like the museum of archaeology and military; for those interested in World War I, there is the Çanakkale Naval Museum as well.
I dined by myself at a seafood restaurant facing the Strait of Dardanelles after first walking along the promenade, enjoying the crisp evening. It was definitely rejuvenating and helped put things in perspective.

The Troy triumph
In my opinion, Troy, or Truva, has more to be proud of than its mythical Trojan horse, made famous by Homer's Iliad - because, although less grand when compared to Ephesus or Hierapolis, the history of Troy is at least 2,000 years older than any other Greek settlement in the region.
As we walked through the ruins of Troy the following morning, I heard a group of visitors snidely remark about the lack of "character" in the ruins as well as the wooden horse with windows installed at the entrance. Fortunately, I had come with an open mind and, for me, the piles of stones and walls were fascinating.
The thick walls that protected the town of Troy centuries ago are evident even today, as are the ramps, column, a small dilapidated theatre, and occasional earthenware. Most of the information you need can be found at strategic points on boards and, if you read the history of Troy, you will realise it was actually built and rebuilt through nine eras. Archaeologists have classified these eras based on the finds, the nature of walls, the built-up areas of the township, materials used, shapes of the houses and other details. Excavation is still going on in the area.
It was useful to have our guide put things in perspective and bring facts to life - well, as much as he could. The rest was left to our imagination. If it helps, remember that the ruined walls of Troy are a clear indication of why it took the enemies (the Achaeans) many years to break through Troy's defences. By the way, the wooden horse outside the ruins has little or no likeness to the mythical Trojan horse - because, let's face it, there is no evidence to show it even existed.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com