Troy-themed exhibition to open at Colosseum

ISTANBUL

A major exhibition titled “Troy and Rome: Myths, Legends, Stories of Ancient Mediterranean” will open to visitors on June 11 at the Colosseum Archaeological Park. A total of 221 artifacts from 19 museums in Türkiye, along with a replica of the Trojan Horse, will be showcased on the global stage.

The ancient city of Troy, immortalized in the Iliad by Homer, will be presented at the Colosseum, one of the world’s most visited landmarks. Artifacts reflecting the multilayered history of Troy and its legendary narratives will be transported to Rome under international conservation standards.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the exhibition on social media, noting that 50 of the works will be exhibited for the first time. The exhibition will also include 99 artifacts from the Troy Museum.

Ersoy said the artifacts have undergone a comprehensive conservation process since December 2025, carried out by restorers in six regional laboratories across Türkiye. Insurance, transportation and protection procedures are being conducted in line with international lending standards set by the International Council of Museums.

According to a ministry statement, preparations for the exhibition began in December 2025, involving expert restorers from six regional Restoration and Conservation Laboratories. The works have been prepared in accordance with ICOM’s international loan standards.

All artifacts are covered by “nail-to-nail” insurance, while a state guarantee certificate has been secured from the host country. Transportation is being carried out by internationally certified companies.

Designed to cover a broad timeline stretching from 3000 B.C. to the end of the Roman era, the exhibition will also include the pre-war history of Anatolia. Among the highlights are depictions of scenes from the Trojan War and works portraying the arrival of Aeneas, considered the founding ancestor of Rome, in Italy.

The artifacts have been curated to present a comprehensive narrative of Troy under a unified concept developed by the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

The Troy exhibition is part of broader efforts to promote Türkiye’s cultural heritage internationally. Following the ongoing Taş Tepeler exhibition in Berlin, new exhibitions are planned for Denmark, the United Kingdom, Italy and the United States in late 2026 and 2027.

A memorandum of understanding has been signed for Japan, while negotiations continue for exhibitions in China and Austria.