Sardes, Manisa 1984-1999

The ruins of ancient Sart (Sardis), once the capital of the Lydian realm of Croesus, lie on the Sart Cayi (Pactole River). Here the first coins were minted. The Temple of Artemis and a restored gymnasium testify to the city's past splendor, as does the important third-century A.D. synagogue. On the south side of Sardis, Mt. Bozdag offers trekking and other mountain sports. On its south slope, in the village of Birgi, is the Cakir Aga Mansion, a fine example of traditional Turkish architecture.
The Greek historian and father of history, Herodotus, notes that the city was founded by the sons of Hercules, the Heraclides. The early Lydian kingdom was very advanced in the industrial arts and Sardis was the chief seat of its manufactures. The most important of these trades was the manufacture and dyeing of delicate woolen stuffs and carpets. The stream Pactolus which flowed through the market-place "carried golden sands" in early antiquity, which was in reality gold dust out of Mount Tmolus. It was during the reign of King Croesus that the metallurgists of Sardis discovered the secret of separating gold from silver, thereby producing both metals of a purity never known before. This was an economic revolution, for while gold nuggets panned or mined were used as currency, their purity was always suspect and a hindrance to trade. Such nuggets or coinage were naturally occurring alloys of gold and silver known as electrum and one could never know how much of it was gold and how much was silver. Sardis now could mint nearly pure silver and gold coins, the value of which could be - and was - trusted throughout the known world. This revolution made Sardis rich and Croesus' name synonymous with wealth itself. For this reason, Sardis is famed in history as the place where modern currency was invented. (Source: en.wikipedia.org)