Lydia is an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the modern Turkish provinces of Manisa and inland İzmir.

Its population speaks an Anatolian language known as Lydian.At its greatest extent, the Kingdom of Lydia covers all of western Anatolia.

Lydia (known as Sparda by the Achaemenids) was a satrapy (province) of the Achaemenid Empire, with Sardis as its capital.

Tabalus, appointed by Cyrus the Great was the first satrap (governor).

Lydia is later the name for a Roman province.

Coins are thought to have been invented in Lydia around 610 BCE.