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Sardis was the capital of the
ancient Kingdom of Lydia, ruled
by King Croesus (560-546 BC).
Later, it was an important Roman city.
Located 90 km (56 miles) east of Izmir,
(map) Sardis (Sart in
Turkish) is a large archeological site
with lots to see. Guided
tours are
available from Izmir and Ephesus/Kusadasi.
The great Temple
of Artemis was begun in 334 BC,
reconfigured over the centuries in
various acrhitectural styles, but never
finished.
The 2nd-century AD Marble
Court of the Hall of the Imperial Cult complex
has been extensively restored, as has
been the huge, rich Roman synagogue.
Sardis is a large site divided
by the Izmir-Afyon highway, with the
Marble Court and synagogue on the north
side, and the Temple of Artemis about
1 km (6/10 mile) to the south, along
with remnants of a Byzantine church,
a late Roman villa.
The River Pactolus, now called
the Gediz Nehri, passes along
the western edge of the site. The ancient Lydians gathered gold
dust from its waters by placing
sheepskins in the water which collected
the dust. According to legend, the
gold came from the Phrygian
King Midas who, cursed with the
golden touch, washed in the Pactolus
to rid himself of it. You can visit
the site of the Lydians' gold refinery.
You can see Sardis on a day-trip from Izmir (90
km/56 miles, 1.5 hours), either by
private car or
by bus or,
less conveniently, by train.
Catch any bus from Izmir headed for Salihli,
the town just beyond Sardis, and ask
to be let out at Sartmustafa.
The train from Izmir's Basmane
station is slower and less
frequent, and arrives at the Sartmahmut station
one km (6/10 mile) north of the highway.
The nearest hotels are in Salihli.
Distances & Travel Times
Alasehir (Philadelphia): 58
km (36 miles) SE, 1 hour
Izmir: 90
km (56 miles) W, 1.5 hours
Manisa: 58 km (36 miles) NW,
1 hour
Salihli: 10 km (6 miles) E,
15 minutes
Usak: 144 km (90 miles) E,
2.25 hours
Aegean
Turkey
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