2,000-year-old Roman street unearthed in Troy excavations

As the 2026 excavations continue at the Troy Archaeological Site in Çanakkale, a nearly 2,000-year-old street from the Roman period is being brought to light.

12punto 10 August 2026

The 2026 excavation works are ongoing at the Troy Archaeological Site, located within the borders of Tevfikiye village in Çanakkale. As part of the "Legacy to the Future Project" conducted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, an important street dating back approximately 2,000 years to the Roman period is being unearthed.

Troy, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998, is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Anatolia with its 5,600-year history. The site, which was destroyed and rebuilt in different periods due to wars, fires, and earthquakes, hosts a large number of domestic and foreign visitors every year.

Work is underway to uncover the Roman-era street during the 2026 excavations in Troy.

FOCUS ON THE ROMAN-ERA LOWER CITY

This year's excavations have prioritized the Hellenistic and Roman-era lower city. At the center of the work is one of the major streets that demonstrates the planned structure of the city during the Roman period. The excavation team aims to uncover the section of the street extending toward the archaeological site and to open this area to visitors in the coming years.

Head of the Troy Archaeological Site Excavations, Prof. Dr. Rüstem Aslan, stated that Troy transformed into a major city during the Roman period, noting that Emperor Augustus's visit in 20 B.C. was influential in this development. According to Aslan, the city was strengthened with structures and temples starting from the Augustan period.

We are currently working on a very large and important street from the Roman period. We will uncover the part of this street that extends toward the archaeological site.
— Prof. Dr. Rüstem Aslan

The Roman-era street is being revealed through excavations in the Hellenistic and Roman-era lower city.

Aslan also reminded that the founding mythology of the Roman Empire is associated with Troy. He stated that the narrative of Aeneas traveling from Troy to the west in Virgil's Aeneid forms the mythological foundation that links Rome's origins to Troy.

According to the excavation head, a planning approach defined as the "insula system" stood out in the city during the Roman period. Houses and shops were located on both sides of the large streets extending in east-west and north-south directions. It is noted that magnetic prospection studies conducted in previous years have also provided significant data regarding the plan of the lower city.

The unearthed road is considered to belong to the Roman-era fabric used from the 1st century B.C. to 500 A.D.

In addition to the archaeological site, visitors to Troy can also tour the Troy Museum, which opened in 2019 and displays approximately 2,000 artifacts. With the uncovering of the Roman street, the goal is for visitors to see the streets, roads, and structures of Troy's Roman period more closely in the future.