Hubert

Austria - 23-Jun-24 -

Ancient Sardis is best known for Croesus, the last king of Lydia, and his legendary wealth. Already in ancient times, Lydia was associated with immense wealth. Whether King Croesus was really the richest man of his time has not been proven. Perhaps this attribute is rather a symbol for the introduction of gold coins, which is attributed to the Lydians. The supposedly oldest gold coin was found during excavations in Sardis. But if you visit Sardis to find traces of its former glory, you may be disappointed. The present-day town of Sart does not exude any flair of pomp and wealth.
Ancient Sardis and the Tumuli of Bin Tepe are nominated for decision in 2025. And I guess that an inscription is verly likely. Among the numerous archaeological sites still waiting on the Turkish tentative list, Sardis has probably the greatest historical significance.

Sardis was the capital of the Lydian Empire until the Persian conquest in the 6th century BCE. Located on the trade route from the Aegean coast to the interior of Asia Minor, today's Anatolia, Sardis was an important centre of trade and commerce. And its significance and prosperity continued even after the fall of the Lydian Empire, when Sardis was under Persian, Hellenistic and Roman rule.

Today Sardis is a little off the main tourist route that leads visitors from Pergamon via Ephesus to Aphrodisias and Hierapolis. Certainly, because the visible remains are less impressive compared to the already inscribed archaeological sites in western Turkiye. What can be visited mainly dates from the Hellenistic and late Roman periods. First, there is the Bath-Gymnasium complex (upper photo). The reconstructed portico gives an impression of the size of the complex, but not much has survived apart from these marble columns. Right next to it, the remains of the Sardis Synagogue. The foundation walls, columns, parts of the floor mosaics (only geometric patterns) and wall decorations have been preserved. The synagogue is surprisingly large, it is estimated that it could have held up to thousand worshippers. However, the photos of the synagogue on Wikipedia or other websites are misleading. It no longer looks like this. The synagogue is now covered by a protective roof, certainly necessary, but the unobstructed view (and photo) with the mosaics in the foreground and the portico of the gymnasium in the back is no longer possible. 
The third place to visit is the Temple of Artemis, about two kilometres from the synagogue and the gymnasium. It is a picturesque view, with the temple ruins in front of you and the view to the Acropolis in the back. Here, you get an impression of the scale of Ancient Sardis. I estimate that it is comparable in size to Pergamon.
I had actually planned to hike up to the Acropolis, even though only remnants of the city walls and fortifications can be seen there. But also remains from the Lydian period. The guy at the ticket office advised me against it: one hour's walk from the Temple of Artemis (I think it’s less), steep uphill, not signposted, 300 meters in altitude, and there is not much to see up there. But what finally kept me from going was the weather: dark clouds were gathering and it started to rain. (Btw: the hill shown in the introduction photo is not the Acropolis, the photographer is facing the opposite side, his back to the Acropolis).

This tentative site has a second location, a few kilometres north of Sardis: The Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe. 'Bin Tepe' literally means 'thousand hills'. Well, there are not that many. Three large and more than hundred smaller tumuli have been preserved, mainly from the time of the Lydian Empire and the subsequent Persian period. The three largest tumuli are located along the state road D-555, which runs directly through the necropolis for about eight kilometres. If you approach from the east, you will first see the largest mound, the Kocamutaf Tepe (lower photo). Presumably it is the tomb of King Alyattes, the father of the famous Croesus. Its diameter is comparable to that of the Great Pyramid of Giza. A few dirt roads branch off from the D-555 and give you the opportunity to park your car. However, if you stand directly in front of one of the large tumuli, they are less impressive, their height cannot compete with Giza. Unfortunately, none of these tombs are open to the public.
Driving on the D-555 through the necropolis and back, you get a good impression of this landscape. The scenery is really special and could be the crucial feature for inscription. I think it is worth planning more time for Bin Tepe as I did: perhaps exploring the area from the south, where more small tumuli are located, hiking between the mounds and trying to find good viewing points. 

This tentative site gets a 'thumbs up' from me, mainly because of the historical significance of Sardis and because of Bin Tepe. And there are certainly many important remains still hidden underground.
However, a lot could be done after inscription to make a visit more interesting and enjoyable. There is no museum on site, the visitor centre is not worth mentioning. The nearest museum with important finds from Sardis is the Archaeological Museum in Manisa, 60 kilometres and a one-hour drive from Sardis. They should also signpost the trail to the Acropolis and make it more accessible. There will probably never be a cable car or a road like in Pergamon, the visible remains are not attractive enough for most tourists. But there are certainly WHS enthusiasts like me who would love to hike up there, if only for the views from the top. And Bin Tepe could also be improved by providing more information about the site, suggesting a hiking route and signposting viewpoints.
If Ancient Sardis and Bin Tepe is added to the WH list, it would be interesting to follow in future reviews how the site develops and improves. It will certainly never be as popular as other WHS in the wider area, but can be a nice change from crowded Ephesus and Hierapolis.