Hisarlik, Turkey

War & fire, 1180 BC

Well, I guess there’s always Troy.  Ann L. 

Also requested by Michael S.

The city of Troy was located in what is modern-day Turkey, on the hill of Hisarlik.  Troy was likely destroyed around 1180 BCE, a date that aligns with archaeological evidence of catastrophic fire in Troy VIIa and the traditional date for the Trojan War. Its fame results from its inclusion in Homer’s Iliad and other works of Greek and Roman literature. According to Homer, the city fell after the besieging Greeks tricked the Trojans into admitting soldiers inside a wooden horse. Until the Scottish journalist Charles Mclaren identified Hisarlik as the likely site of Troy and the subsequent excavations by German businessman Heinrich Schliemann, the city was thought to be mythological. The painting is based on an uncredited contemporary reconstruction.

No. 60