The city is best known as the center of immense wealth, thanks to gold from the Pactolus River, and as the place where the world's very first coins were minted under King Croesus (Krezu).
Lydia conquered large parts of western Anatolia and had its own language, religion, and strong fortifications.
Bin Tepe (“Thousand Hills”), approximately 7-17 km north of Sardis on Lake Marmara, is the royal and elite burial ground of the Lydians.
It comprises more than 100 (formerly up to 149) tumuli (burial mounds), some of which are the largest in the world.
The three largest tumuli are among the most impressive monuments of antiquity and feature innovations such as stucco walls and marker stones.
The largest is likely the tomb of King Alyattes (approx. 63 m high, 330 m in diameter).
This site bears witness to the power, wealth, and architectural skills of the Lydians and remained in use during the Persian period.
In July 2025, Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe were jointly inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In short: one of the most important archaeological landscapes of Anatolia, a symbol of Lydian civilization that strongly influenced the Greeks and later cultures.
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