Ottoman appreciation of Trojan heritage 1870-1875

The excavations of Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890) at Hisarlýk in the second half of the 19th century are definitely among the most imposing archaeological activities that took place in the Ottoman territories.Hence, there has been a great deal of valuable historical research into Schliemann's archaeological activities in the Troad.Most research, however, relies largely on western sources. This is typical for the historiography of archaeology in the Ottoman Empire, in which hardly any attention has been paid to the archaeological concerns and interests of the Ottomans themselves. The primary goal of this article is to provide more insight into the Ottoman attitude towardsHeinrich Schliemann's first campaign of excavations from 1870 to 1874 and the illegal transportation of Priam's Treasure, through analyzing Ottoman official correspondence.