One of the oldest monuments in Greece, the Temple of Hera became solely dedicated to the goddess when the great Temple of Zeus was constructed nearby.

Booking a tour is the most comfortable way to visit Olympia, without missing any details. Your IP: 85.187.128.25 The next stretch N and NE of Olympia opened in 2005.

The Olympic Games were suspended in 394 AD by the Byzantine emperor Theodosius as a pagan ritual.

Located on the western side of Peloponnese, this was the place where the first ancient Olympic Games took place. A nice arch marks the entrance to the stadium. Over the course of the 6th century BC a range of sports were added to the Olympic festival.

The Stadium, where the Olympic Games used to take place.

The Prytaneion was built at the northwest side of the site in 470 BC.[7]. The South Stoa was built at the southern edge of the sanctuary at approximately the same time. The municipality Archaia Olympia ("Ancient Olympia") was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[18], The municipality has an area of 545.121 km2, the municipal unit 178.944 km2.[19]. Around 300 BC the largest building on the site, the Leonidaion, was constructed to house important visitors. It hosts interesting items from excavations in the site. It is linked by GR-74, and the new road was opened in the 1980s. The site was divided topographically into squares, trenches were dug, excavations were undertaken in straight lines, and models for restoration were proposed: archaeology was becoming rationalized, and it was in this way that the location and identity of the Temple of Zeus were determined for the first time. The first major excavation of Olympia began in 1875, funded by the German government after negotiation of exclusive access by Ernst Curtius. Do you like

[13], Since the 1870s, the excavation and preservation of Ancient Olympia has been the responsibility of the German Archaeological Institute at Athens.

A reservoir is located 2 km (1 mi) southwest, damming up the Alfeios River. You can book a tour online, or if you want to get there on your own there are various ways to get to the sanctuary: Booking a tour. The town has a train station and is the easternmost terminus of the line of Olympia-Pyrgos (Ilia).

Greeka? This was the place that gave birth to the ancient Olympic Games, where all Greek city-states would send their representatives. Explore our travel services & make the most out of your holidays in Olympia!

The ruined Temple of Zeus that stands today in the archaeological site of Olympia was built to honor the chief of the gods.

Thus the plan of a great Greek sanctuary was revealed for the first time.

First inhabited in the second millennium BCE, the first archaeological record of dwellings dates from 1900 to 1600 BCE. Important finds included sculptures from the Temple of Zeus, the Nike of Paeonius, the Hermes of Praxiteles and many bronzes. In 580 BC, Elis, in alliance with Sparta, occupied Pisa and regained the control over the sanctuary. Olympia was the birthplace of the most famous and important sporting event in the ancient world. Continue your trip to the best Greece destinations! The archaeological site held over 70 significant buildings, and ruins of many of these survive, although the main Temple of Zeus survives only as stones on the ground. Other archaeologists responsible for the dig were Gustav Hirschfeld, George Treu, Adolf Furtwängler (who worked alongside architects), A. Boetticher, Wilhelm Dörpfeld, and Richard Borrmann. Statue of a bull among the exhibits in the Archaeological Museum at Olympia, Greece. [3] The Altis, as the sanctuary as was originally known, was an irregular quadrangular area more than 200 yards (183 meters) on each side and walled except to the North where it was bounded by the Kronion (Mount Kronos). Set amid an idyllic countryside consisting of low, wooded hills alternating with farmland, the Olympia archaeological site is of outstanding cultural significance. The first excavations were conducted around the Temple of Zeus in 1829 by the French Expédition Scientifique de Morée, led by Abel Blouet. Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2020. [7], During the Roman period, the games were opened up to all citizens of the Roman Empire. It was a great honor for a city-state to give birth to Olympic winners, whose only prize was an olive branch. Where to stay? Can't-miss spots to dine, drink, and feast. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός", "Olympia Hypothesis: Tsunamis Buried the Cult Site On the Peloponnese", http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/17740/Altis, Map of the location of the temple of Zeus at Olympia, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1f910496-f0b7-11d8-a553-00000e2511c8.html#axzz4H1SrUZM5, "Ancient and modern Shot put revisits Olympia", "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. Top Greek islands & Mainland Destinations, Most popular Greek islands & mainland destinations, Discover Olympia, Mycenae & Delphi on a 3-days tour, from 320€, READ NEXT: Olympia is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Other structures were explored in this period, the most important of which was the atelier (workshop) of the master sculptor Phidias, who was the creator of the Statue of Zeus.