As part of a new project to be prepared in cooperation with Wikipedia, an informative digital resource will be created for the Troy Museum, which is physically located in northwestern Turkey’s Çanakkale province.

The Troy Museum is located in the village of Tevfikiye at the entrance of the ancient city of Troy, which dates back 5,500 years and was included on UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List in 1998.

The three-story museum welcomes its visitors with couplets, in six languages, from the epic "The Iliad" in which the ancient poet Homer tells the story of the Trojan War. Artifacts and findings from the excavations of the ancient city of Troy are also exhibited in the museum.

People visiting the museum follow the history of the ancient city by wandering through its sections, which have been broken up into the themes: "Archaeology of Troas Region," "Troy's Bronze Age," "Iliad Epic and Trojan War," "Troas and Ilion in Antiquity," "Eastern Roman and Ottoman Period," "History of Archaeology" and " Traces of Troy."

After winning the "2020 European Museum of the Year Special Commendation Award" and the "2020/2021 European Museum Academy Special Mention Award," the Troy Museum has become more famous around the world. Now, the Turkish museum has its sights set on the digital sphere.

Troy Museum Director Rıdvan Gölcük told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they started the "WikiTroya" project with Wikipedia, the collaborative internet encyclopedia prepared by its users in many languages, with the approval of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums.

Stating that Wikipedia is one of the first sources people turn to when searching on the internet, Gölcük said, "We saw that we did not have enough information and data on the Museum of Troy on the internet. Upon this, we invited Wikipedia to collaborate on a project."

Gölcük explained that a lot of data will be entered in WikiTroya, so that "When people wonder, research and enter the Wikipedia site, the information on the site will direct them to Troy, Troy Museum and Çanakkale." He also stated that the project will encompass many areas, including the ruins, the museum, the works in the museum and the legend of Troy.

The museum director noted that one of the goals of the project was to influence people's travel choices. "We are wondering, if we provide them with detailed information about Troy and Troy Museum, will it become an alternative for their travel?

"We describe our age as the ‘information age.’ Therefore, we wanted to control the existing information. We want the information on Troy not to be transmitted by some visitors from anywhere in the world as they see it from their perspectives. We want to introduce Troy Museum by blending it with the Anatolian language and geography. Secondly, we also want to translate information on it to different languages ourselves. We want to direct enthusiasts to Troy with the information that we have presented."

Steps of project

Gölcük stated that the project is comprised of several steps, and the first is set to be taken in March. Outlining the steps, he explained: "First of all, we will have a joint competition with Wikipedia. We will announce the missing and necessary titles for the introduction of Troy, and then reward the Wikipedians who entered the maximum information in the specified period."

In the second step of the project, Wikipedia, which has many sub-sections such as "Wiki Loves Africa" and "Wikipedia Loves Art," will launch a similar space for the Troy Museum. With "Wiki Loves Troy," a comprehensive dictionary will be created for the Turkish museum.

"In the world of information, we will have more control over subjects related to Troy. The cooperation that Wikipedia has shown with us is very valuable. With this wonderful project, we will try to raise and increase the voice of Troy, Troy Museum and Çanakkale in the digital world and in many different languages," Gölcük said.