The ancient city of Sardis, widely recognized as the birthplace of coinage in the seventh century B.C., is set to offer a new nighttime museum experience. Located in the Salihli district of Manisa, Türkiye, and once the capital of the ancient Lydian Kingdom, Sardis has been offering this experience since June, with journalists visiting as part of a special festival to experience it firsthand.
During the event, professor Nicholas Cahill, head of the Sardis excavation team, provided detailed insights to the press about the site. Cahill spoke about the Temple of Artemis, a remnant from the period of polytheistic religions, the remains of the largest synagogue of the ancient world, the church mentioned in the Gospel of John, monumental Roman baths and the gymnasium ruins, as well as the ongoing archaeological work in the area.
Cahill emphasized in his statement to the press that the city’s structures appear even more magnificent thanks to special lighting installations.
“This is Sardis, the capital of Lydia, as you know,” said Cahill. “Right now, we are inside a Roman bath. This structure was restored in the 1960s and became one of the first monumental restoration projects in Türkiye. For the nighttime museum experience, beautiful lighting has been installed, and I must say, I really like it.”
