Troy's Story Reaches Over 2 Million Visitors in Rome

The exhibition "Troy and Rome: Myths, Legends and Stories of the Ancient Mediterranean," opened to visitors at the Colosseum, has hosted 2 million 66 thousand 178 visitors. Bringing together more than 300 artifacts from museums in Türkiye, Italy and the Vatican, the exhibition connects the shared historical and mythological heritage stretching from Troy to Rome with international visitors.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the number of visitors reached by the exhibition "Troy and Rome: Myths, Legends and Stories of the Ancient Mediterranean," held at the Colosseum in Rome as part of cultural cooperation carried out with Italy.

In a post shared on his social media account, Minister Ersoy stated that the exhibition had reached 2 million 66 thousand 178 visitors, saying, "The story of Troy is meeting with millions in Rome."

The exhibition, which includes 221 artifacts from museums affiliated with the Ministry, presents visitors with more than 300 archaeological artifacts in total, together with the pieces brought from museums in Italy and the Vatican.

A shared history stretching from Troy to Rome
Prepared as part of the cultural cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Italian Ministry of Culture, the exhibition's opening took place on June 11, 2026, in a ceremony attended by Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and the Italian Minister of Culture. Organized under the name "Troia e Roma. Miti, leggende, storie del Mediterraneo antico," the exhibition opened to visitors on June 12.

Curated jointly by the Colosseum Archaeological Park and the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, the exhibition explores the historical and mythological ties between Troy and Rome under different themes.

The narrative axis of the exhibition includes the Trojan War, the political and cultural environment of Ancient Anatolia, the myths and stories found in Homer's epic the Iliad, the journey of Aeneas to Italy as he left Anatolia in search of a new homeland after Troy, and the founding narratives of Rome.

In this context, the exhibition reveals, through archaeological artifacts, the traces of the Trojan narrative in Rome's historical and mythological memory.

More than 300 artifacts at the Colosseum
The exhibition features more than 300 artifacts in total, led by 221 artifacts brought from Türkiye, together with pieces provided by museums in Italy and the Vatican.

Bringing together archaeological finds from different periods, the exhibition conveys to visitors the historical, cultural and mythological relationships between Troy and Rome through these artifacts.

The exhibition "Troy and Rome: Myths, Legends and Stories of the Ancient Mediterranean" can be visited at the Colosseum until October 18, 2026.

Türkiye's cultural heritage is being promoted internationally
The exhibition stands out as one of the important examples of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's temporary exhibition efforts aimed at making Türkiye's historical and archaeological heritage visible on an international scale.

Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that the exhibition contributes to strengthening cultural ties between Türkiye and Italy, offering the following assessment:

"With our exhibition, which will remain open until October 18, we continue to promote our cultural values on an international scale and to strengthen the bonds between Türkiye and Italy through cultural diplomacy."

Aiming to have historical and archaeological heritage regarded not only as artifacts bearing traces of the past but also as a tool that strengthens intercultural dialogue, the exhibition draws attention as one of the visible examples of cultural cooperation between Türkiye and Italy.