- Anasayfa
- Lydia Wine Route
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̆At the heart of why we fondly use the symbol of “golden vines”, from our brand logo onwards, lies the Lydian civilisation’s association with gold mines and the great wealth gold has brought to this land.
Yet, of course, this is not the only reason.
Lydian lands gained their golden value thanks to the abundance of water from the Gediz River, known as Hermos in ancient times. Thus, the vines in this land nurtured many grape varieties, above all the golden-coloured Sultaniye, and these grapes became the leading agricultural economic power for the states that ruled over these lands for hundreds of years.
Today, Türkiye is unrivalled and nearly the sole global supplier of raisins produced from grapes grown on Lydian lands. No other region in this country has conveyed such wealth from antiquity to today.
Lydian civilisation sat on a trade route. From east to west, goods shipped to Anatolia from the Persian Kingdom and India were collected here and then distributed by rivers to various parts of the Aegean. One reason for this was the discovery of gold by the first kings of Lydia, the ancestors of King Croesus (King Kârun), and the invention of the first coinage using this metal. As a result, the Lydians introduced a system of trading based on money, which can be called “modern trade,” rather than exchanging goods.
After the Persian conquest of Lydia, the route became known as the Royal Road and served as an axis for the passage of armies and commercial goods from east to west. Herodotus mentions this famous Royal Road, initiated by the Lydians and expanded by the Persians, in his work History. Today, the famous Kârun Treasure, decorated with precious metals of this rich trade civilisation, is exhibited in the Uşak Archaeological Museum and attracts the admiration of history lovers.
Lydians invented coinage in the 7th century BC and produced coins the size of a fava bean with a mixture of 75% gold and 25% silver. Lydian civilisation was famous for its mastery of goldsmithing and gold mining. You will often come across these gold coins, one of the most iconic numismatic treasures in the world, as you explore the Lydia Historical Wine Route. The source of the gold was the Sart Stream, formerly the Pactolus. The stream, which ran right through the centre of the Sardes city and greatly influenced the city’s designation as the Capital, has sadly now dried up.
The abundance of gold, and therefore money, created a significant commercial movement and wealth in the city. People did not live in safe and secure houses in those times. Houses were simple, shelter-like places where keeping money was not considered safe. This idea resulted in the temples being the first banks in history. The Temple of Artemis is deemed the first bank of history in this respect.
Verses from The Bacchae, a famous tragedy by Euripides in the 5th century BC, best illustrate the Lydian origins of Dionysus and his cult. Here, Euripides speaks of Tmolos, now known as Bozdağlar, where the Lydian capital of Sardis rests, as the land from which Dionysus arrived.
Christianity religion, although widely spread in the West, was born in Anatolia, at the centre of the world.
The presence of Roman civilisation in the pre-Christian history of Anatolia undoubtedly played an essential role in this emergence. As a result of this historical heritage from the Roman period and before, Lydian lands contributed to the formation of the initial communities in the early stages of Christianity.
Lydian land is also home to The Seven Churches of Christianity. The word church was used in the sense of community here. From north to south, they are Thyatira (Akhisar), Pergamon (Bergama), Smyrna (İzmir), Ephesus (Ephesus), Sardes (Salihli), Philadelphia (Alaşehir) and Laodicea (Denizli). Three of these seven churches, Thyatira, Sardes and Philadelphia, are on the Lydia Historical Wine Route. Two other churches, Smyrna and Ephesus, are also within the borders of ancient Lydia.
No other vineyard route in the world has the good fortune of resting on such historical heritage and resources in viticulture, winemaking and culture.
The surrounding area of the Divlit Volcano in Kula consists of volcanic hills of varying heights formed by the faults of the third geological period.
12.000-year-old human footprints were discovered upon the basalt tuffs around the two craters called Divlittepe and Küçük Divlittepe in the Çakallar site. The lava sea around Kula was named “Kulaite” by the scientist H. S. Washington in 1900 and acknowledged in scientific studies. In addition to its breathtaking aesthetics, this famous lava sea exhibits a very special terroir of the Lydia Historical Wine Route, where ungrafted viticulture (franc de pied) cultivation can be practised thanks to its phylloxera-free structure of volcanic soil.
The Kula Geopark, the first geopark in Türkiye, is also a spectacular site on the Lydia Historical Wine Route.
It is safe to say that the region is the kingdom of both Lydia and grapes. The view of the lush green “sea of vineyards” stretching to the endless horizon, formed by thousands of acres of vineyards on the plain of Alaşehir (ancient Philadelphia), is a must in the region, especially at sunset.
With over 50 grape varieties for table and wine, the Inner Aegean region has the widest selection of grape varieties in Türkiye, and the producers of the Lydia Historical Wine Route craft wines that appeal to every palate in dozens of different types and hundreds of unique styles.
Getting together with friends, celebrating a special occasion, dining on business, or enjoying a film at home. There is a Lydia Historical Wine Route beauty to suit every moment of your life.