Well, I searched high and low for Hector but apparently, he left town when he heard I was coming. Mythology aside, it’s likely that there was a war fought here between the Greeks and Trojans in the 10th or 11th century BC, probably for the usual reasons – control of resources, expansion of territory, etc. which was won by the Greeks.
The site was inhabited for at least 6,000 years and probably longer and ended its life as a Roman city with a different name in around 400 AD. There are now 10 archaeological layers and layer #6 was from the period of the Trojan War. The Trojan Horse used in the movie Troy with Brad Pitt is located in the port city of Canakkale (see picture). At the Troy ruins there’s a very kitschy horse with windows – not exactly the vehicle that Achilles would have wanted to hide in.
We’ll be in Istanbul for the next few days, so I’ll post when we’re done there!