Gifts with GReat Greek products!
Shipping to:

You have no items in your shopping cart.

Olympia

Olympia, western Peloponnese, is ancient Greece’s most renowned sanctuary and was dedicated to Zeus, father of gods and mortals. It was within that magnificent ancient temple that the formidable ivory & gold statue of Zeus used to stand. Sculpted by Pheidias, it had been named one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. One of the most significant ancient sites worldwide, Olympia is a pole of attraction for visitors and determines the area’s tourism profile.

However, the significance of the ancient site of Olympia does not stop there. It was at Olympia that the Olympic Games, the ancient Greeks’ most important event were held in classical times. A series of athletic competitions, the Olympic Games traditionally date back to 776 BC. Even today, the contemporary Olympics Games begin at that ancient site with the ceremony of the lighting of the Olympic Flame which travels around the world to the place the games are held every four years.

The greater area of Olympia (Ilia) is not simply the location of some of the world’s most significant archeological sites. It is a fertile farmland with thriving olive and citrus groves, vineyards, and wheat fields. Olympia geographical profile is characterized by a diversity that is created by the area’s hills, valleys, lofty mountains, and steep cliffs dropping to the sea. Enchanting sandy stretches, wetlands that are the habitat of rare aquatic fauna and flora, verdant forests, hot springs, and traditional villages co-exist in harmony with wondrous archaeological sites, historical monuments, and Byzantine monasteries in a rich weave that is the history of Olympia and Ilia.