Trojan Horse Statue — Attraction in Çanakkale Merkez

I grew up hearing a fairy tale that said a whole city had been destroyed because of a lady! The woman's name was “Halen”, and “Troy” was the city. If you have seen the Brad Pitt movie "Troy," you are already familiar with the story.

During my summer vacation, I went to the ancient Troy, which is now called “Çanakkale”.

Çanakkale is a city on the Dardanelles Strait in northwest Turkey, in the Marmara area. Not far over the narrow strait, it serves as a gateway to the WWI battlefields of Gallipoli.

The city is home to about 143,622 people. The Trojan War is connected to the Trojan Horse. Mythology states that the Trojan War took place around 3,000 years ago and involved the Greeks of Menelaus and the Troyans.

According to the historical film Troy, the summary of the story is given below:

Halen of Troy was the most beautiful woman in Greece and the primary cause of the Trojan War.

She was the Spartan king Menelaus 's wife. In the year 1184, Menelaus, the king of Sparta, wishes for reunion with the Greek states. Achilles, performed by Brad Pitt, was his most powerful fighter. Menelaus, the Spartan ruler, invited Paris and Hector, the prince of Troy, for this reason.

The youngest brother is named Paris. When Paris saw Halen for the first time, he fell in love. Halen was unhappy with King Menelaus, so she accepted his proposal and escaped Sparta with him. Menelaus, the king of Sparta with his other brother Agamemnon, became extremely angry about this matter and commenced the Trojan war against Troy. Conquering Troy is extremely difficult because of its massive fortifications and the Sea of Marmara around it. But Menelaus proclaimed that he would defeat Troy at all costs. They built a large wooden horse and placed their soldiers inside of it to defeat Troy. They sent this horse to Troy as a peace treaty gift. Priam, the king of Troy, accepted the gift and brought the horse inside their palace. During the night, the Trojan Horse's soldiers escaped outside and opened the main gate to let the Spartan soldiers in. They set the entire palace on fire and attacked the sleeping Troyans. Through the secret door outside the palace, Paris and Helen were able to flee the conflict.

The Trojan horse represents the devastation of Troy and a sense of those times. It is...

The Greek warriors had been trying to breach the wall around Troy for about ten years. The Greeks could not find a way in, and the Trojans did not seem able to drive the Greeks away. Odysseus, a Greek general, had an idea. His plan was to build a horse, a beautiful and huge wooden horse, and leave it outside the gate. Then, the entire Greek army would pretend to leave, as if they had finally admitted defeat. But the horse would be hollow. Thirty men would be hiding inside. That's what they did. As the Greek warriors sailed away, the people of Troy rushed outside, cheering. They found the horse. Fortunately, they did not try to burn the horse. They dragged the horse inside the city gates to keep it on display, which is just what the Greek general thought they would do - gloat. That night, while the Trojan people were sleeping, the men hiding inside the wooden horse climbed out and opened the gates. The waiting Greek army entered Troy. That was the...

A must-see for history buffs and movie lovers! This iconic statue brings to life the legendary tale of the Trojan Horse, a pivotal moment in Greek mythology. The scale of the statue is impressive, and it's a great photo opportunity.

For those unfamiliar, the story goes: The Greeks, unable to conquer the fortified city of Troy through conventional means, devised a cunning plan. They built a giant wooden horse, supposedly an offering to the gods, and left it outside the city gates. Hidden within the horse were Greek soldiers who, under the cover of night, emerged and opened the gates for the Greek army, leading to the fall of Troy.

This statue gained further fame after appearing in the 2004 movie "Troy," starring Brad Pitt. Even if you're not a history buff, the statue is a fascinating piece of art and a reminder of the enduring power of...