Our journey began during a visit to the ancient city of Troy in Çanakkale. As we walked among its remarkable archaeological layers, we realised that there was not enough engaging digital content to help young people explore how the city had changed over thousands of years. Instead of simply accepting this gap, we decided to fill it ourselves.

Troy is not merely an ancient city associated with the Trojan War. It is an exceptionally important and multilayered cultural heritage site where settlements from different historical periods were built one above another over thousands of years. The starting point of our project was to examine Troy’s multilayered structure through STEAM disciplines, make it more understandable and bring it to life through digital technologies.

When we began the project in 2023, we could not find an accessible 3D model that represented the architectural layers of Troy and could be used for educational purposes. We therefore conducted an extensive review of the available sources. We contacted the Çanakkale Provincial Museum, located in the province where Troy is situated, and requested information and documents concerning the city’s architecture and settlement plans. However, the detailed plans we needed were not available there either. We continued our research and eventually obtained plans showing Troy’s archaeological layers and settlement layout from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Ankara.

These official plans were examined alongside historical and archaeological sources. Using this material, we developed a 3D model intended to make Troy’s different settlement periods visible and understandable. To the best of our knowledge, this was one of the first comprehensive initiatives to represent the multilayered structure of Troy through an educational approach combining 3D modelling, STEAM and digital cultural heritage.

Our project brought together history, archaeology, architecture, mathematics, engineering, art, design and digital technologies. In this respect, it became one of the pioneering educational projects to examine an ancient city comprehensively through STEAM components. The students did not simply acquire historical knowledge. They also had the opportunity to combine research, spatial thinking, measurement, digital modelling, design, coding and storytelling skills. In 2024, we presented the project in an international setting and shared our approach and digital outputs.

The second significant stage of the project took place in 2024. While participating in the Low-Code Fest organised by Europeana, we further developed our work on Troy and recreated scenes from the Trojan War using augmented reality. This enabled users to experience historical events through digital scenes and interactive content rather than merely reading about them. To the best of our knowledge, these activities—combining 3D modelling, augmented reality and coding—were among the earliest comprehensive, education-focused digital applications developed around Troy.

Inspired by the city of Troy and the events of the Trojan War, the project also evolved into a powerful example of digital storytelling. Historical information, architectural layers, mythological characters and significant events from the war were reinterpreted through 3D models, augmented reality applications, coding activities and visual narratives. In this way, the project established a creative and educational bridge between the ancient past and contemporary technologies.

For us, this is not a completed project but an evolving digital cultural heritage initiative. In the coming years, we aim to represent Troy’s different archaeological layers through more detailed 3D models, expand its augmented and virtual reality applications, create interactive digital stories and incorporate AI-supported learning experiences. We also plan to make the project more accessible to different age groups, teachers, students, museums and international education networks.

This project, which originated from the city of Troy, demonstrates that cultural heritage is not simply a past that must be preserved. It can also become a living learning environment that can be rediscovered through science, art, technology and education.

Our team culture is built on collaboration, curiosity, creativity, and a shared commitment to preserving cultural heritage through digital innovation. Every team member contributes their unique skills and ideas while learning from and supporting one another throughout the journey.