New term excavations start at city of Troy with Turkish team

ÇANAKKALE - Dogan News Agency

After Germans, excavations will be carried out by a Turkish team for the first time in the ancient city of Troy.

New term excavations in the 5,000-year-old ancient city of Troy, which is located within the borders of the Tevfikiye village in the northwestern province of Çanakkale, will be carried out by a Turkish team for the first time. Under the auspices of Tübingen University, German archaeologists have so far worked in the ancient city with the sponsorship of German companies.

A sponsorship agreement was signed on March 11 between the Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University (ÇOMÜ) and a company working in the iron, steel and energy field.  In the signing ceremony, ÇOMÜ rector Professor Sedar Laçiner said a Turkish team would work in the Troy excavations for the first time, and it was a historic time to sign the agreement. He said the decision was made last year for ÇOMÜ to carry out the excavations, adding, “There was previously a small budget for the excavations.

From now on, the process will be accelerated with the budget of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, and contributions of the university and Turkish industrialists and businessmen. Our goal is to extend the excavations process to 12 months. Pieces unearthed in Troy will contribute to Çanakkale’s culture and tourism. Maybe it will become one of Turkey’s most important frequented historical places.”

Excavations in the ancient city will be led by Associate Professor Rüstem Aslan, the head of ÇOMÜ’s Archaeology Department.