Troy was once one of the most magic cities in the
world, and it definitely was for Alexander,
even if there may not have been much left for him to see. But at least we are
sure that the Temple
of Apollo still stood
there since he exchanged his armor and especially his shield against that of
his much admired example, Achilles.
Besides, Alexander and his life-long
friend Hephaistion visited the nearby
Tomb of Achilles and Patroclus,
stripping off their clothes and running around the tumulus.
So yes, Troy
is very much interwoven with Alexander
and his hero, Achilles. This is
reason enough to put the current exhibition “Troy. City, Homer and Turkey”
high on my list. It is held at the Allard
Pierson Museum
in Amsterdam and is part of the conclusion to
the celebration marking 400 years of diplomatic relations between Turkey and the Netherlands.
On display are more than 300 artifacts collected from different places in
the Netherlands
and abroad - a rare opportunity to see so many archaeological items together in
one place.
What we know about Troy
is mainly the story of the 12-year war between Greeks and Trojans that inspired Homer to write his famous “Iliad”, and the sensational
discoveries made by Heinrich Schliemann at the late 19th century.
Myth and history are very much intertwined, as they were for eons past.
Excavations at Troy
have revealed 5,000 years of settlements in which so many people, countries and
cultures have left their imprint. Various aspects of Troy
are being presented at this exhibition, using its many myths as a thread
running through time. The results of old and recent excavations are on display
with original pieces and copies of the famous Treasure of Priam (the cache of gold and jewelry found by
Schliemann). The most striking item is a large marble head of Zeus, generously
contributed by the Archaeological Museum
in Istanbul.
Perception of Troy’s history in
the 19th and 20th century in Turkey and abroad forms a
major part of this exhibition, including items dating from the Ottoman Empire,
like Schliemann’s permit for the digging and pictures of Ataturk’s visit to Troy.
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