Our next stop was the town of Olympia, home of the Ancient Olympic Games. This Google map link shows its location on the Peloponnese peninsula.
There are 4 museums in the town and we decided to visit the archaeological museum and the site of the ancient Olympic games.
This first picture shows Allister and Charlotte entering the stadium to the applause of … well… one proud parent.
The stadium was the site of the running events and, according to information available at the site, could seat up to 45,000 spectators. The stone structure you see on the far side of the track was the judges area.
Allister and Charlotte at the start line.
Another important building on the site is the temple of Zeus which, according to a description in one of our guidebooks is the largest temple in the Peloponnese and considered a perfect example of Doric architecture.
The temple was built to house the Statue of Zeus at Olympia that was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The following is an artist’s rendition of the statue, housed with the Temple.
This rather unassuming monument, Hera’s Altar, is the place where, since 1936 AD (fairly recent, I’d say) for the Berlin Olympics, the Olympic flame has been lit.
There was also an excellent museum located across the street from the archeological site that had a number of well-preserved and interesting exhibits.
Some examples of early helmets. These date from around 400 BC.
