Museum reopens ‘Troy’ exhibit

The Istanbul Archeology Museum threw open the doors Friday to its ancient Troy exhibition, shut for years because of lack of funds, just in time for the world premiere of the movie “Troy,” starring Brad Pitt.

Ancient Troy is located in the northwest of modern-day Turkey, not far south of Istanbul. The museum hall -- which contains ancient Greek relics including a statue of the head of Zeus and Trojan jewelry -- was closed in 1995 because there were not enough guards, director Halil Ozek said. But heightened interest from foreign tourists and Turkish visitors ahead of the release of “Troy” prompted the Culture Ministry to reopen the Troy section, Ozek said.