Sardis

Sardis, ancient city of Asia Minor (now in Turkey), and capital of Lydia, at the north base of Mount Tmolus (now Boz Dağ), on the Pactolus River (now Baguli River), north-east of Smyrna (now İzmir, Turkey). The city attained its greatest prosperity during the reign of Croesus, king of Lydia, and after his overthrow in 546 bc by Cyrus the Great of Persia, it became the western capital of the Persian Empire. In 334 bc Lydia was conquered by Alexander the Great, but following his death, his empire was divided into several kingdoms, and Sardis became part of the kingdom under the Seleucids. Subsequently, it came under Roman control. Sardis was an early seat of Christianity and the site of one of the Seven Churches of Asia mentioned in the Bible (Revelation 3:1). The town was destroyed by the Mongol conqueror Tamerlane in 1402. Archaeological excavations were begun at the site in 1910, but the city itself was not uncovered until 1958.