Sardis (modern Sart) was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia and home King Croesus (560-546 BC), famous for his wealth.

Liberated from the Persians by Alexander the Great in c.340 BC, Sardis became a Greek city with an impressive Temple of Artemis. In the Roman era, the temple was expanded and used also for the imperial cult, and a huge bath-gymnasium complex was built.

Ancient Sardis had a very large and prosperous Jewish community, which produced the largest ancient synagogue outside of Palestine. Christianity arrived in the 1st century AD and Sardis was one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Sardis now lies entirely in ruins and is an archaeological site in the village of Sartmahmut with ongoing excavations.

Sacred Sites and Religious Places

Sacred Destinations Home     About     Contact     Using Images     Advertise     Blog     Twitter     Privacy Policy
Stock photos of religious art and architecture available for licensing: Sacred Destinations Images
Except where indicated otherwise, all content and images © 2005-10 Sacred Destinations. All rights reserved.

Sacred Destinations is an online travel guide to sacred sites, pilgrimages, holy places, religious history, sacred places, historical religious sites, archaeological sites,
religious festivals, sacred sites, spiritual retreats, religious travel and spiritual journeys.
Free content for your Google homepage or website! Get the Sacred Destinations Daily Photo Gadget

Travel resources: Spiritual Tour Directory, Sightseeing Tours, Hotels, Travel Insurance
Popular categories: Ancient Mysteries, Biblical Sites, Cathedrals, Catholic Shrines, Footsteps of Jesus, Luther Sites
Popular sacred sites: Easter Island, Lourdes, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Oberammergau Passion Play, Shroud of Turin, Sistine Chapel, St. Mark's Basilica, St. Peter's Basilica, Stonehenge
Popular city guides: Rome, Ravenna, Ephesus, Assisi, Paris, Jerusalem
Popular maps: England Map, Italy Map, Jerusalem Map, London Map, Paris Map, Rome Map

Quick Facts on Sardis

Site Information
Names:	Sardis
Categories:	city ruins
Visitor and Contact Information
Coordinates:	38.481667° N, 28.057222° E
Address:	Turkey
Lodging:	View hotels near Sardis

Note: This information was accurate when first published and we do our best to keep it updated, but details such as opening hours and prices can change without notice. To avoid disappointment, please check with the site directly before making a special trip.

More Information

• Photos of Sardis - here on Sacred Destinations