Inhabited for more than 4 000 years, Sardis was the capital of the Lydian Empire, whose rulers included Croesus. It subsequently became a major Roman city and a Byzantine bishopric. In the surrounding countryside, planted with vines which produce Smyrna raisins, there are too many ancient remains to count! The famous Pactole river, which used to be full of gold - hence Croesus' great wealth and the expression "as rich as Croesus" - flows through this landscape.