Sardis is in the Aegean Region near Manisa and Izmir. Sardis was the capital of the famous Kingdom of Lydia, where the first coins in the world were minted. The Temple of Artemis by the Sart Stream dates back to the 4th century B.C. Sardis located at the starting point of the famous "King's Road" which extends towards the east, was an important trade center. In fact, Sardis was where metal coins were used for the first time in the world as a commercial value. The Temple of Artemis, restored gymnasium and one of the oldest and largest synagogues in Anatolia dates from the third century A.D. are the places which are most frequently visited in Sardis today. On the south side of Sardis, Mt. Boz (ancient Mt. Tmolus) is good for hiking and other mountain sports.
Sardis (Salihli/Sart), which was known as the capital of the Lydia Kingdom, was founded in the VIIIth century B.C., and was ruled by the kings: Gyges, Ardys, Sadyattes, Alyattes and Kroisos. The city was conquered by the Persian King Kyros in 546 B.C., and from then continued to function as a Persian garrison. Alexander the Great conquered the city in 334 B.C., and at that time, the city became Hellenized. The city was then ruled by Syria, Pergamon and by the Romans respectively.
Sardis was known by its wealth and as a famous trade centre when it was the capital of the Lydia Kingdom. Owing to the Paktolos, who passed nearby the city and who had rich gold mines, the wealth of the city became very famous. This city which minted the first coins in history in the VIIth century B.C., was the last stop on the famous King Road which started in Susa. Moreover, the city earned a considerable amount of income from the famous Artemis temple, where people from all over the ancient world visited.
