Sardis — The Moneyer's Secret

Your quest begins at the main entrance of the Sardis archaeological site, near the Gymnasium and Synagogue. The Gymnasium, built in the 2nd century CE, spanned 200 x 100 m and included hypocaust-heated baths, demonstrating Roman athletic and educational activity in the province of Asia. Adjacent, the Sardis Synagogue, erected around 220 CE, was 55 m long and 18 m wide, capable of accommodating 1000 people. Its orientation towards Jerusalem and its Greek and Hebrew inscriptions attest to Judeo-Roman coexistence and the prosperity of Jewish donors in the ancient capital of Lydia. These initial ruins immerse you in a crossroads of cultures.

Proceed to the Marble Court, an impressive part of the Gymnasium complex, dated to the 3rd century CE. Its marble columns, reaching 12 m high, were partially restored during American excavations in the 1960s. This space served as a meeting hall or tribunal, adorned with architectural reliefs that narrate Roman civic organization. As Croesus, you can imagine the political and commercial decisions that shaped Sardis's economy, an archaeological site nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status, where the world's first coinage originated, making this Aegean thematic circuit all the more relevant.

The path then leads you to the Temple of Artemis, founded around 600 BCE by the Lydians, and later rebuilt by the Romans in the 2nd century CE. Eight of its 18-meter-high columns still stand, dedicated to Artemis, the protective goddess of Lydia. This cult site is located near the Pactolus River, inextricably linked to the legend of Lydian gold. Here, you feel the influence of ancient beliefs that connected wealth and prosperity to divine protection. The GPS treasure hunt allows you to explore these ruins with a unique perspective, revealing the past grandeur of Sardis.

Descend towards the Pactolus River, which once flowed through Sardis and was renowned for its alluvial gold flakes, exploited as early as the 7th century BCE. Associated with King Midas in Greek mythology, this river was the source of the first electrum coinage. Although partly dried up today, it still flows near the ruins of the Temple of Artemis. The walk then takes you to the Sardis Acropolis, fortified from the 8th century BCE and culminating at 300 m. This bastion, conquered by the Persians in 546 BCE during Croesus's betrayal, preserves Hellenistic and Roman remains with walls 5-10 m thick, offering breathtaking views of Sardis's history.

Your exploration of the Aegean heritage continues at the Roman Theater of Sardis, built in the 2nd century CE at the foot of the Acropolis. With a capacity of 20,000 spectators and a cavea diameter of 120 m, it hosted Roman performances and games. Partially excavated in the 1970s, it attests to the scale of public life in Sardis. Finally, the House of Bronzes, a Roman villa from the 1st century CE, discovered in 1961, revealed a treasure of 52 bronze statuettes, hidden around 616 CE during the Sasanian Persian invasions. These objects, dated from the 2nd-1st century BCE, are now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Your interactive visit to Sardis concludes here, with the moneyer's secrets and the wealth of ancient Lydia now clearer.