The sanctuary of Olympia, nestled in the fertile valley where the Alpheios and Kladeos rivers meet, constitutes one of the most important Sanctuaries of the ancient world. Known as the “navel of Hellenism,” it was the sacred site for the ancient Olympic Games, held from 776 B.C. until 393 A.D.. The site’s history spans over a millennium, beginning in the Final Neolithic Era (4th millennium B.C.).
The Altis, the sacred grove, began to take shape around the 10th-9th c. B.C., at which time the worship of Zeus was established.
The site transitioned from a residential area to a place of worship, where countless dedications, such as bronze tripods, were placed in the open air upon altars.
During the Archaic period (7th–6th c. B.C.), the first monumental buildings were erected, including the Temple of Hera (“Heraion,” the oldest structure), as well as the Prytaneion, the Bouleuterion, and the Treasuries, which were votive offerings from various city-states.
The cult of the local hero Pelops was established during this period at the Pelopion.
Olympia reached its height of glory during the 5th century B.C.. The magnificent Temple of Zeus, in the Doric order, was erected between 470–456 B.C.. Its sculptural decoration included the chariot race of Pelops and Oinomaos (East Pediment) and the Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs (West Pediment) in the pediments, while the metopes were adorned with the twelve Labors of Heracles. The sanctuary served as a place for dedicating spoils of war, such as Miltiades’ helmet after the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C..
Twenty years after the temple’s erection, the chryselephantine Statue of Zeus (c. 430 B.C.), the work of Pheidias, was placed inside its cella, becoming one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Pheidias’s workshop was established west of the temple. Other important monuments of the era included the Zanes statues, bronze images of Zeus funded by fines paid by cheating athletes, and the Nike of Paionios (c. 421 B.C.), a monument dedicated by the Messenians.
During the Hellenistic period, building activity expanded outside the Altis, with the erection of secular structures such as the Gymnasium and the Palaestra.
A key monument was the Philippeion (begun 338 B.C.), a circular building containing chryselephantine statues of the family of Philip II and Alexander the Great, signifying the introduction of political propaganda into the sacred space.
During the same period, the Leonidaion (330 B.C.), a guesthouse for officials, was constructed.
During the Roman period, the sanctuary continued its economic bloom. The Metroon was converted into a temple for the Imperial Cult (Sebasteion).
The Nymphaeum was erected by Herodes Atticus (c. 150 A.D.) for his wife Regilla, solving the sanctuary’s water supply problem.
The Games continued, achieving a universal character, until their eventual prohibition.
In 393 A.D., the decree of Emperor Theodosius I banned pagan cults and the Games.
The chryselephantine Statue of Zeus was transferred to Constantinople. In the mid-5th century A.D., the Workshop of Pheidias was converted into a triple-aisled Paleo-Christian basilica.
A Christian settlement subsequently emerged, reusing materials (spolia) from the ancient monuments for building houses.
Occupation ceased definitively by the early 7th century A.D., when the site was covered by the floods of the Alpheios and landslides from Kronios Hill
These buildings were the civic and legal heart of Olympia, where the Olympic flame was kept and the judges made official decisions.
2: Prytaneion (The seat of the magistrates and the location of the sacred hearth)
31: Bouleuterion (The Council House where athletes took their official oaths)
Essential facilities for hygiene, water management, and the physical transitions within the site.
1: Northeast Propylon (The ceremonial gateway to the sanctuary)
6: Nymphaeum of Herodes Atticus (The grand ornamental fountain and aqueduct terminus)
14: Hellenistic Building (General infrastructure structure)
25: Baths of Kladeos (Named after the nearby river)
26: Greek Baths (The oldest bathing facilities on site)
30: Southern Baths (Late Roman-style bathing complex)
These long, colonnaded halls provided shelter from the sun and rain, as well as space for commerce and social gathering.
11: Echo Stoa (Also known as the Poikile Stoa, famous for echoing a voice seven times)
13: Stoa of Hestia
32: South Stoa (The southern boundary of the sanctuary used for official arrivals)
The residential areas for athletes, distinguished guests, and even emperors.
22: Theokoleon, 24: Workshop of Phidias and Early Christian Basilica
27 and 28: Lodgings (Standard accommodation units)
29: Leonidaion (The largest building on site, serving as a luxury hotel for VIPs)
33: Villa of Nero (The private residence built for the Emperor’s visit in 67 AD)
The specialized spaces where athletes trained and the official competitions took place.
10: Stadium (The track for running events).
9: Crypte (The vaulted entrance for athletes).
20: Gymnasium (Large open space for track and field training).
21: Palaestra (The colonnaded courtyard for combat sports).
The core religious structures including temples, altars, hero-shrines, and victory dedications.
Temples: 4: Temple of Hera, 7: Metroon, 15: Temple of Zeus.
Altars & Shrines: 5: Sanctuary of Pelops (Pelopion), 16: Altar of Zeus, 23: Heroon.
Dedications: 3: Philippeion (Monument of Philip II), 8: Zanes, 12: Monument of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe, 17: Dedication of the Achaeans, 18: Dedication of Mikythos of Rhegion, 19: Nike of Paionios.