Olympia, Greece

The monuments described below do not include the ruins of an ancient city because Olympia was not a city. Olympia was a sanctuary of Zeus, one of the most important in Greece, and at the same time it was a panhellenic center for contests, where the most brilliant games in ancient Greece were held. Therefore, the buildings erected at various times were intended either for worship or to serve the games.

The Sanctuary of Olympia is expansive, beautiful, and very peaceful. The trees within are full of birds, chirping and flying among the ruins. There is so much history and mythology related to this place that even my brief introduction to it was overwhelming. The photos below will give you a sense of it.

Here is a model of Olympia showing the most important structures as they once stood.

The Temple of Zeus is the one with the white roof. The one at 10 o’clock is the Temple of Hera. The green area in the upper right at about 1 o’clock is the stadium, and the grey conical shape to the right of Hera’s Temple is the Altar to Hera. Foreground red roofs are of the gymnasium.

This is what it looks like today.

Temple of Zeus—Most splendid building in the Sanctuary--best one for the head god—has been destroyed several times.


In it was a statue of Zeus which was made of ivory and gold. This was one of the ancient wonders of the world.


Temple of Hera-- Built in 600 BC, it is thought to be the oldest temple in Greece.

At the Altar of Hera, in front of the temple, is where the Olympic torch is lit. From here, it is taken to Athens by runners and then throughout the world until it reaches the host country where it lights the Olympic flame that burns throughout the games.
The Stadium wasn’t excavated until 1958-61. According to tradition, the length of the stadium is 600 ancient feet long said to have been fixed by Hercules who measured it with his own feet. Our guide said that this length is known as a stadia, hence the name for the place as stadium.


Here are some columns that once were part of the gymnasium.


After a pleasant morning within the Sanctuary of Olympia, we went to a local hotel where we had a wonderful Greek lunch.


And were entertained by Greek dancers.

The spirit of Zeus and Zorba linger with me as we sail toward Santorini.