Trojan horse figurines are the most popular souvenirs sold at the entrance to Troy in Çanakkale's Tevfikiye village. Twenty-one women work -- sometimes along with their husbands and children -- to make the Trojan horses at production facilities set up inside their homes. For some women, selling the horses to tourists is the only way they are able to contribute financially to their households. Village head Mehmet Er told the Anatolia news agency that the city of Troy had become a means of livelihood for village women, noting that only women sold items at the vendor stands. He said: “A more organized market must be put together here. A place that would not just sell gift items but also things like food. The women who are vendors here produce the horses at night and sell them during the day.”One of the saleswomen is Nurten Albayrak, who has been making and selling Trojan horse figurines for eight years. The horses come in all different sizes and styles, she explained, noting that they sold for anywhere from TL 3 to TL 150 and that it was also possible for visitors to make special orders. She explained that she was able to make an average of three horses a day and that she also met all of her household expenses with the money she made from the sales.
“I have two children who are studying at university, and I support them as well. I have one shop and two machines. We make the horses that we sell here by ourselves; our prices are reasonable. In five years, we haven't raised prices, and I've been doing this for eight years. … Sales were better in years past; they're not doing so well now,” Albayrak, who mans a vendor stand from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, said.
