Visit Olympia in Greece

If you are thinking of a good way to get to know Greek History, the best way is an Olympia Travel, here you will find everything you need to Know.

The Altis

Olympia, also called The Altis, is a town located in the valley of Elis, western Peloponnisos (Peloponnesus), next to the Alpheus Riverat. This was the original place for the ancient Olympic Games from 776 BC and also a sanctuary for Gods. Olympia contains many buildings associated with the games and with the gods. Olympia has many Greek treasures such as temples, monuments, altars, theaters, statues, and votive offerings of brass and marble. 

The Olympic Games

First the Olympic Games were opened to only Greek men, women and slaves were not allowed to enter or watch. Later Romans participated too, mainly because Roma was running the Greek world by then. The event included many games like foot races, wrestling, discus, javelin, long-jump, horse and chariot racing, and pancratium ( similar to boxing).

The event was not only athletic; there were also writing, poetry and history readings, plus business transactions and treaties. Later the games were banned in 426 by the emperor Theodosius II because they were pagan. The Olympics were officially reopened in 1896 in Athens and the first modern international Olympic Games held in Athens were in 1859. 

Greece buildings

The sanctuary comprises various buildings. We find the Temenos that comprises the Temple of Hera (or Heraion/Heraeum) dedicated to Hera, the wife of Zeus, it is one of the oldest Doric building, where the garlands were prepared for the victors in the games and Temple of Zeus was dedicated to the father of the gods, in this temple was a statue of Zeus made of ivory and gold made by the Athenian sculptor Phidias, the Pelopion and the area of the altar, where the sacrifices were made. 

Outside the Altis

Outside the Altis to the east, we found the hippodrome and stadium where the contests took place; on the west were the Palaestra, or wrestling school, and the Gymnasium, the competitors were obliged to train for at least for a month.

In the North part of the sanctuary

In the North part of the sanctuary we found the Prytaneion and the Philippeion, a circular Ionic building dedicated to Philip II, king of Macedonia, this sanctuary was dedicated to himself.

In the south the Altis

In the south we found The Metroon, which was dedicated to the mother goddess, Cybele, Rhea, or Demeter, with the Echo Stoa to the East and the south Stoa to the south of the sanctuary. The Bouleuterion was a building which housed the council of citizens, near where we found the Palaestra, the Pheidias, the Gymnasion and the Leonidaion.

One of the most important things to do in order to understand Greek culture is go to the Ancient Olympia Museum. The Archaeological Museum of Olympia is one of the most important museums in Greece; it shows the whole history of Greece, showing many interesting collections of the most sacred sanctuaries found in the excavations in the sacred Altis.