did the city of troy really exist?

There're many theories about the existence on not of Homer, even the possibility that there were many "Homers" and that it was not really a name but a profession, that of the storyteller. But that was not our topic in this thread. However if you feel like elaborating, please go ahead!

Because Homer described it as being close to the Hellespont, (Dardanelles) and gave more descriptions on its whereabouts. More ancient historians gave directions to the tomb of Achilles, near by and people (like Alexander the great) would go to offer sacrifices. Later on, after the decline of the Greek world, this knowledge was lost and the location of Troy was (temporarily) lost. But everyone knew, because of the ancient writers' accounts that it was located in modern-day Turkey.

Troy probly did exist, but Homer likes to romaticize tales.  It seems one of the Troys was destroyed by a Earth quake and a latter one was destroyed by eiter the Hittites or the Greek people known as the "Sea People".  Or it may have bin a Greek army who destroyed it but it wasnt for Helen it was most likly for control of the port which the Trojens got extremly weathy from by taxing ships that traveled trough the area.

They found a Hittite city and called it Troy. No evidence has ever been found to back the claim. Also a couple of other cities down the coast have as good claim, the geography being much closer to what Homer describes.

I wonder if in a thousand years times Archaeologists will be searching for the remains of The Shire?

yes aelous you are extremely correct.Truy six was destroyed by earthquake and matches homer's description.The trojan horse comes from that,the god that causes earthquakes in their myth(dunno wich one)sometimes took the shape of a horse.So when the gares were battered by the earthquake,they lefta wooden horse statue to show their gratefullness

Troy 7 indeed seemed to to Archaeologists that it was destroyed by humans but as the reports were saying also, it didnt match Homer's Descriptions.

Some say it was Troy 6 but there were many indications that Troy 6 was destroyed by earthquake. Looks like we are gonna have to wait to be certain which one was the one Homer described.

I thought it was the first one