ANCIENT OLYMPIA

Located in the western Peloponnese, Olympia was an ancient Greek sanctuary site dedicated to the worship of Zeus, in whose honor the Pan-Hellenic Olympic Games were held every four years from 776 BCE to 393 CE. Today Olympia is well known as the birthplace of the Olympic Games and also listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It remains one of the most evocative Greek ancient sites with a scale of history that never ceases to astound. 

One of the most famous sites of Olympia is the Ancient Stadium where all the sport activities were held. The stadium had a seating capacity of 45,000 spectators and almost all seats were made of mud while only a few of them were created especially for the officials. The racetrack of the stadium is over 200 meters long and nearly 30 to 34 meters wide. The south bank of the stadium was the podium for the judges, while on the north bank there was an altar dedicated to the priestess of goddess Demeter, who was the only woman allowed to watch the games. 

Located close to the stadium is the temple of Zeus built in the 5th Century BC from limestone and marble. One of the oldest temples in Greece is the temple of the goddess Hera that was built in the 7th Century BC and today is used as the altar where the Olympic flame is lit before the games. 

The Palestra was built in the third century BC as part of the gymnasium complex, and was used to practice boxing, wrestling and jumping. 

The archeological museum of Olympia is one of the richest and most important museums in Greece, and hosts the findings that the excavations at the ancient site of Olympia brought to light. It includes the largest collection of copper artifacts in the world, as well as collections of sculptures, ceramics and various artifacts connected to the Olympic Games. 

Since 2004, a new museum, the Museum of the History of the Ancient Olympic Games operates in the renovated building of the first Archaeological Museum built in 1985. In this magnificent neo-classical building archaeological finds related to the Olympic Games, coming from Olympia or from other museums in Greece, are displayed. The goal of the exhibition is to present the birth and evolution through time of the sporting and Olympic ideal.