Sardis

Located in western Anatolia in modern-day Turkey, Sardis served as the wealthy capital of the Lydian Empire under King Croesus in the 6th century BCE. It is most famously recognized as one of the earliest societies to mint standardized gold and silver coins.

Visitors to the site can explore the remarkably well-preserved monumental Synagogue, which features intricate mosaic floors. The ruins also include the massive Temple of Artemis, a sprawling Roman gymnasium complex, and ancient Lydian burial mounds.

The Lydians figured out how to separate gold from silver to create electrum, a naturally occurring alloy that they stamped with official designs to guarantee its weight and value. This standardization of currency around 600 BCE revolutionized trade and commerce in the ancient Mediterranean world.

After being conquered by the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great, Sardis remained a vital administrative center and satrapal capital for centuries. It later flourished as a major metropolis under the Greeks and Romans before being largely abandoned after the Sassanian invasions.