Olympia: Quick Facts

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Map of southeastern Europe highlighting Greece and marking the location of Olympia with a red star, indicating its status as a World Heritage Site. Olympia is shown in the western part of the Peloponnese peninsula, surrounded by neighboring countries and nearby seas including the Ionian, Aegean, and Mediterranean.

Olympia, Greece: Archaeological Museum

Olympia, Greece: Archaeological Museum

Olympia, Greece: Temple of Zeus

Marble sculpture of a Lapith woman struggling with a centaur, both partially damaged, from the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, displayed in the Archaeological Museum at Olympia.

Olympia, Greece: Temple of Hera

Praxiteles: Hermes Carrying the Infant Dionysus

Olympia, Greece: temple of Hera

Olympia, Greece: Philippeum

Olympia, Greece: Philippeum

Olympic medals hang against a blurry background.

When Were the First Olympic Games?

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Topics

Olympic Games Feast Greek mythology sanctuary Delphi Knossos Mycenae Pella Epidaurus Verghina Eleusis Dodona Eretria Elis

Elis

Elis

ancient city-state, Greece

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Altis

ancient site, Greece

Greece

country, Europe

The Parthenon stands atop the Acropolis hill in Athens, Greece, surrounded by ancient stone walls and ruins, with city buildings and a distant hill in the background.

ancient Greek civilization

historical region, Eurasia

Key People

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Ernst Curtius

German archaeologist

Marble bust of Alexander the Great, in the British Museum, London, England. Hellenistic Greek, 2nd-1st century BC. Said to be from Alexandria, Egypt. Height: 37 cm.

Ancient Greece

Taj Mahal, Agra, India. UNESCO World Heritage Site (minarets; Muslim, architecture; Islamic architecture; marble; mausoleum)

Wonders of the World Quiz

Temple ruins of columns and statures at Karnak, Egypt (Egyptian architecture; Egyptian archaelogy; Egyptian history)

History Buff Quiz

Ancient Egyptian carving of Pharaoh Seti I holding his flail before the god of the underworld Osiris with Horus behind him. Abydos Temple, Egypt. Ancient carving, on public display for 2,000 years

Archaeology: Great Discoveries Quiz