ISTANBUL, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Troy in northwestern Türkiye's Canakkale province have uncovered the remains of an agora -- a public marketplace and gathering place -- believed to date back about 2,800 years.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Reyhan Korpe, deputy head of the excavations, said the discovery proves Troy wasn't permanently abandoned after the Bronze Age, solving a long-standing puzzle about how the legendary city became the later Greek city of Ilion.
Korpe said the discovery is part of a dedicated research initiative launched in 2014 to map the connection between Bronze Age Troy and the subsequent city of Ilion.
Archaeological findings show that after the civilization collapsed, the site was left empty for only 80-90 years before new settlers arrived. Rather than starting over, they built their homes atop the ancient stone walls and continued using the old public square as an agora.
Traditionally associated with the legendary city described in Homer's Iliad, Troy has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. ■
