Sardis

Sardis is located in modern day Turkey at the foot of the Tmolus Mountains. Remains suggest human activity at the site as early as 50,000 BCE. Sardis rose to prominence in the 7th century BCE when Gyges made it the capital of the Lydian Empire. Under the Mermnad dynasty (680-547 BCE), the Lydian empire expanded to its greatest extent. During this time, the royal cemetery of Bin Tepe was constructed. Nearby is a stream whose bed yields electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver. The use of these natural resources made Sardis a leading gold producer in the seventh and sixth centuries. The Greek historian, Herodotus credits Sardis as the first city to issue gold and silver coins under the rule of King Croesus (ruled 560-546 BCE).

The acropolis was located on the mountain, with the rest of the city spreading over lower ground to the north. (Unfortunately, the mountain was mainly composed of detritus--compressed gravel--which means that the area's frequent earthquakes have slowly obliterated the acropolis, leaving little surviving to the present.) In 547 BCE, the Persian Cyrus the Great sacked Sardis. The Persians turned Sardis into an administrative center for the western half of their empire. As a crossroads for trade, the mixing of many cultures contributed to the site’s wealth. In 334 BCE, Alexander the Great took control of Sardis. During this time many building projects began. Two of the building projects dating to this period are the Temple of Artemis and the theater. In 133 BC, the last king of the Pergamon dynasty, Attalus IV, died with no heir and left his kingdom to the Romans. By this time, when Sardis came under the control of Caesar Augustus, its years of prominence were over. In fact, in 17 AD, Sardis suffered from an earthquake and had to be substantially rebuilt. This history is apparently connected to the message addressed to Sardis in the Apocalypse (late first century AD), the state of whose Christian church paralleled its city: "You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead" (Revelation 3:1).

A little later in the imperial period, the gymnasium and bath complexes were added to the site. Starting in the second century CE, one of the rooms of the gymnasium complex was converted into a synagogue, the largest ancient synagogue so far discovered. The walls and floors were covered with mosaics and made of marble. Adjacent to the synagogue is a street lined with shops. These structures remained until 616 CE, when they were destroyed by the Sassanian king Croesus II. Sardis continued to be a prominent city until the late Byzantine period. After the 6th century CE, Sardis continued to decline. During the 13th century, Sardis was raided by Christians and Turks. In 1402, Sardis was destroyed by the Mongol emperor Timur.

Archaeology at the site focuses mainly on the temple of Artemis and the gymnasium complex.

 cityancientplace with historical importancearchaeological siteinteresting place