HISTORY

Olympia the birthplace of the Olympics that was a sanctuary dedicated to Zeus. The first games were held in the 2nd millennium B.C. and had a local character. In 776 B.C. the first Panhellenic games were organized in Olympia because during the games all the wars between the Greek city-states had to stop, so there was peace around Greece.

The games were held in every 4 years. In the beginning, they lasted for a day since the athletes could participate in one foot-race. Later on in the 5th B.C, c. the games lasted for 5 days. In the first day many sacrifices dedicated to Zeus were held in the sanctuary. The second, third and fourth were the days that the games were held in the stadium and the hippodrome. And the fifth it was the day that the Olympic winners were finally crowned with a wreath that they made from a brunch of an olive three.

The games continued to take place during the Greek and Roman era until the 4th A.D. c. In 393 A.D. Theodosius I abolished the games because the Christian faith was established in the Roman Empire.

From the 4th A.D. c. we had to wait until the 19th c. in 1896 when the first modern games were held at the Panathenaic stadium of Athens and were organized by a Frenchman Baron Pierre De Coubertin.

ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE

In the archeological site of Olympia you will see the buildings where the athletes used to train. The workshop of Pheidias where the well-known sculpture Pheidias curved the Ivory Gold statue of Zeus, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. In the sanctuary you will see the temple of Zeus, the temple of Hera and the place to where the ceremony of the lighting of the Olympic Games takes place in every 4 years. And finally you will enter the stadium to where the games were held.

MUSEUM

Next to the site you can find the archeological museum to where exhibits found in the site are presented. The most important is the statue of Hermes of Praxiteles. The second museum you can find there is the museum of the History of the Games, where you can find exhibits that have to do with athletes and the Games of the Greek antiquity.

1: North-East propylon – 2: Prytaneion – 3: Philippeion – 4: Temple of Hera – 5: Pelopion – 6: Nymhi of Herodes Atticus – 7: Metroon – 8: Zanes – 9: Crypt (arched way to the stadium) – 10: Stadium – 11: Echo stoa – 12: Building of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe – 13: Hestia stoa – 14: Hellenistic building – 15: Temple of Zeus – 16: Altar of Zeus – 17: Ex-voto of Achaeans – 18: Ex-voto of Mikythos – 19: Nike of Paionios – 20: Gymnasion – 21: Palaestra – 22: Theokoleon – 23: Heroon – 24: Phidias' workshop and paleochristian basilica – 25: Baths of Kladeos – 26: Greek baths – 27 and 28: Hostels – 29: Leonidaion – 30: South baths – 31: Bouleuterion – 32: South stoa – 33: Villa of Nero 

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Archaeological site of Ancient Olympia

Chlemoutsi Castle

Epicourios Apollo

Mercouri Winery

Beach

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