{"id":62633,"date":"2026-05-06T10:55:33","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T07:55:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.turkishairlines.com\/the-lands-where-money-was-first-minted-sardes-ancient-city-and-bin-tepeler\/"},"modified":"2026-05-06T10:59:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T07:59:27","slug":"sardes-ancient-city-and-bintepeler-travel-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.turkishairlines.com\/en\/sardes-ancient-city-and-bintepeler-travel-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"The lands where money was first minted: Sardes Ancient City and Bin Tepeler"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Lydia\u2019s golden capital: the rise of Sardes to the stage of history<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If we look at where Sardes Ancient City is located, it sits at the point where the Gediz Plain meets the gold-bearing Sart Stream. It held a commanding position over both water resources and major trade routes. During the Lydian Kingdom\u2019s golden age, between the 8th and 6th centuries BCE, the city became the setting for a great invention that would change the course of history: coinage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, the history of Sardes Ancient City is not limited to the Lydians. When the Persians captured the city in 546 BCE, Sardes became the most important satrapal center of the vast Persian Empire in the west. With Alexander the Great’s conquest, the city entered the Hellenistic period. During the Roman Empire, it was adorned with monumental structures, becoming one of the shining stars of the province of Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The masterpieces of the ancient city: List of must-see structures in Sardes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The monumental structures on the list of places to see in Sardes Ancient City let you feel the grandeur of ancient Rome and Lydia to the core.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the largest baths of the ancient world: Gymnasium and Synagogue<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A wide-angle view of Sardes Ancient City in Salihli, Manisa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Among the places to see in Sardes, the most striking structure is the Roman-era Bath\u2013Gymnasium complex. With its vast colonnaded courtyard and vaulted hot and cold bathing rooms, the complex demonstrates how vibrant social life was at the time. Just south of the complex stands a magnificent basilica, converted into a synagogue in the 3rd century CE. One of the largest and most elaborate synagogues of the ancient world, it reveals the city\u2019s multicultural character through its refined floor mosaics and wall coverings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A crossroads of faiths: Temple of Artemis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The Temple of Artemis at Sardes Ancient City in Salihli, Manisa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another captivating stop in Sardes is the Temple of Artemis. During the Hellenistic and Roman periods, it was transformed into a massive Ionic-order temple and ranks among the largest in the ancient world for its imposing scale. As you walk among its remains, you can trace the marks of major past earthquakes and see how the structure later housed a small church in Late Antiquity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To discover this unique cultural heritage of the Aegean on site, you can explore\u00a0flight options to Izmir.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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