Archaeological Site of Olympia

The Archaeological Site of Olympia in Elis, Western Greece, preserves the great Pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Zeus and the setting of the ancient Olympic Games. UNESCO identifies Olympia as a religious and political centre whose cult of Zeus developed from the early first millennium BC; the sanctuary became famous throughout the Greek world.

At its heart was the Altis, the sacred grove containing the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of Hera and major votive monuments. The site was also inseparable from the Olympic Games, traditionally dated from 776 BC, which brought athletes and visitors to Olympia at regular intervals under a sacred truce.

The colossal gold-and-ivory statue of Zeus by Pheidias, now lost, was counted among the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. UNESCO inscribed Olympia in 1989 for the exceptional concentration of monuments and for the enduring cultural significance of the Olympic ideal. The surviving site is archaeological rather than a living pagan sanctuary.

Its religious meaning should therefore be understood through documented cult practice, architecture, inscriptions and ancient testimony, while legendary material surrounding gods and heroes remains part of ancient tradition.