Troy exhibition at Colosseum draws over 2 mln visitors

ROME

The show highlights the historical and mythological connections between Troy and Rome. (AA Photo)

A major exhibition exploring the historical and mythological links between Troy and Rome has attracted more than 2 million visitors at Rome’s Colosseum, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has announced.

“The story of Troy is meeting millions in Rome,” Ersoy said in a social media post, announcing that the exhibition had reached 2,066,178 visitors.

Titled “Troy and Rome: Myths, Legends and Stories of the Ancient Mediterranean,” the exhibition was organized as part of cultural cooperation between Türkiye and Italy. It features 221 artifacts from museums affiliated with Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry, alongside works from Italian and Vatican museums, bringing the total number of artifacts on display to more than 300.

The exhibition traces a shared historical heritage stretching from the Trojan War and Homer’s “Iliad” to Aeneas’ journey from Troy to Italy and the Anatolian origins attributed to the founders of Rome.

“Our exhibition, which will remain open until Oct. 18, continues to introduce our cultural values to an international audience and strengthen ties between Türkiye and Italy through cultural diplomacy,” Ersoy said.

The exhibition was prepared as part of cultural cooperation projects between Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry and Italy’s Culture Ministry. It was officially inaugurated by Ersoy and his Italian counterpart at a special ceremony on June 11 and opened to the public on June 12.

Curated by the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum and the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, the exhibition explores the Trojan War, the political landscape of Anatolia at the time, myths and stories from Homer’s “Iliad,” Aeneas’ journey to Italy after fleeing Troy to establish a new homeland and the Anatolian roots attributed to Rome’s founders.
The exhibition highlights the historical and mythological connections between Troy and Rome through a range of artifacts and is part of the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s efforts to promote Türkiye’s cultural heritage internationally through temporary exhibitions.

The project also aims to strengthen relations between Türkiye and Italy by using historical and archaeological heritage as a means of dialogue, sustainable development and socioeconomic cooperation.