About Sardes
Sardis was the Lydian capital and the city of Croesus, renowned for gold. Below its acropolis, the Temple of Artemis, Roman bath-gymnasium and great synagogue reveal a multilayered settlement extending from Lydia to Byzantium.
History
Sardis developed as the political centre of Lydia in the seventh and sixth centuries BCE. Gold from the Pactolus and early coin production reinforced its reputation. After the Persian conquest in 547/546 BCE, it became a satrapal capital at the western end of the Royal Road. Hellenistic and Roman growth created a monumental metropolis; its large synagogue reflects a cosmopolitan community. Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe entered the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025.
Highlights and principal structures
- Temple of Artemis
- Bath-gymnasium complex
- Sardis Synagogue
- Lydian walls
- Acropolis
- Pactolus gold-working areas
- Bin Tepe tumuli
Historical period
Lydian–Persian–Hellenistic–Roman–Byzantine