1. An c i e n t O ly m p i
a
The m o st im po rtant place o f
o ur are a
‘’United Europe is in our eyes’’ Comenius Project 2012-14

2. …harmony, fair play, truce, beauty, team
spirit, competition…
Our home town
and its
surrounding
area, Ileia,
have numerous
archaeological
sites which are
worth talking
about; the
Temple of
Epicourios
Apollon,
Ancient Ilida,
the Castle
Chlemoutsi,
lots of medieval
temples.
However, the
archaeological
site of Olympia
represents the
essence and
the grandeur of
Olympia is the place
where the most
important and
lasting athletic
institution, the
Olympic Games
was born…
where people not
only from Greece
but from around
the world have
been coming
every four years
for centuries now
to watch the
opening of the
Olympic Games
and take part in
them.
we chose to present
to you as the most
important place of
our area.
Our presentation
focus on the
following areas:
 The museum of
the Ancient
Olympic Games


3. TheAncient Olympic Games History
Museum
The Ancient Olympic Games History Museum hosts 463 ancient pieces
of work most of which are taken from Zeus Temple in Olympia, but there
are some others taken from Museums from the rest of the Greece.
Exhibits cover a large time period, from 2000 B.C to the 5th century and
through them the over-the-millenium history of the Olympic Games is
being expressed. Needless to say that the Olympic Games are the
longest institution of the ancient Greek times. Apart from ancient works of
art, the visitor can also be informed in detail through an audio-visual
presentation.

4. The museum is composed of the exhibition areas
and the basement where Multimedia are going to
be installed for a full presentation of the Games
and for educational programmes.

5. The exhibition area is composed of one big main room,
the lobby and eleven smaller rooms. The most important
exhibits hosted in the museum are the gold rings-stamps
with the first pictures of the games, representative samples
of the Minoic and Miedeval art, the bronze and geometric
idols of warriors and armory that come from Olympia and
constitute the first presentation of historical times. It is also
very important to see the unwritten bases from athlete's
statues that adorned the Alti's, the stone and bronze
inscriptions of the athlete's idols as well as many pots with
athletes’ presentations.

6. Museumof ModernOlympic Games
(Ancient Olympia- Ilia- Greece)

7. The museum of Modern Olympic games was
established in 1961.This museum was inspired
by the sports lover, lover of art and philatelist
George Papastefanou - Probatakis. At first it
was accommodated in the old building of the
primary in Olympia where the founder George
Papastefanou displayed his personal collection
of any kind of souvenirs and mementos about
the modern Olympic Games.
On the 27th December 1963, George
Papastefanou donated the museum with his
personal collections to the Committee of the
Olympic Games (E.O.A). On the 28th March
1964 the Museum and the material collection
became the property of the Olympic Committee
with the donation of George Papastefanou who
was appointed Director of the museum.

8. Papastefanou personal collection was enriched gradually
with many other items he bought or were donated to the
museum by individuals and by the different National
Olympic committees at Various States (Nations). In 1968
the New building started to be constructed and on 27th
July 1972 the New Museum of Modern Olympic Games
was inaugurated.
The Museum of Modern Olympics Games includes rare
photos, medals, diplomas, stamps and other exhibits
about the contemporary history of the Olympic Games.

11. Archeological site

12. 1.The Gymnasium
(2nd century B.C.) that was used for training
(discus, javelin, running etc.)

13. 2. The Palestra
(3rd
century B.C.) that was used for wrestling and
the Pancratium races.

14. 3.The Prytaneion (5th century B.C.)
(Prytaneum)
That was a public building containing the symbolic
hearth of the city and serving as a meeting place.
The prytanis or the doyens (the oldest, most
experienced and often most respected people)
were mainly responsible for the harmonious
running of the altar and took care of the frequent
offers and sacrifices to the gods.

15. 4.The Bouleuterion
The parliament building which was the
supreme council of Olympia.

16. The Temple of Zeus was built by the architect Ilia Livona
in the center of the Altis in 470 to 456 BC . It was the
most magnificent building of the sanctuary of Olympia.
The material used was mainly shell-limestone coated
with white stucco. It was Doric pavilion with quinoa 6 x
13. The pediments of the temple had statues, which
are now exhibited in the Museum. At the entrance was
the crowning of the Olympic champions during the last
day of the Games. In the long nave one of the 7
wonders of the world was placed ;the gold and ivory
statue of Zeus by Pheidias. It was made after 432 BC,
it was 7 times greater than the physical size and its
height along with the pedestal reached 12.40 meters.
The naked parts were made of ivory and the robe, the
beard and the hair of gold. Zeus was seated on his
throne holding in his right hand Victory and a scepter in
his left. His head was crowned with an olive wreath. In
395 AD it was moved to Istanbul where it was later
burned. The temple of Zeus was burned by order of
Theodosius in 426 AD and it was later destroyed by
5. The Temple of
Zeus

17. The temple as it was ....
tue of Zeus was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world made by the sculptor P

18. View of the temple today

19. The
pedime
nts of
the
Temple

20. 6. The Zanes
The Zanes - plural of the word Zeus - were sixteen bronze statues
of Zeus. Now only theirpedestals are found. These statues
were dedicated fromfines paid by those infringing the
regulations of the Olympic Games, making oraccepting bribes
to win orconcede victory and were placed at the entrance of
the stadiumto set an example forathletes.
THEN NOW

21. 7. The Hippodrome
It was a stadium for
horse racing and
chariot racing located
in the south. It was
swept away by the
river Alpheus and
there are no remains
of it today. It was
1153 m long and this
is where the
celebrated horse and
chariot races, which
were the brightest
events of the Olympic
Games, were held.

22. 8. The
Stadium
This is lace where the celebrated
athletic competitions took place. The
track has a length of 192.25 meters
and a width of approximately 30m
delivery length of the stadium by its
measuring Hercules with his feet. All
around the stage there were small
basins from where the spectators
watching the races were drinking
water. The water supply system was
constructed in 141-157 AD Around 30
to 35.000 spectators could watch the
games from the slopes of the stadium.
In the southern slope there was a
platform for the umpires and the
officials. Across the platform the altar
of the goddess Demeter was found
where the priestess sat and watched -
only by women - the Olympic Games.
The stadium was originally in the west
of the temple of Zeus. It was shifted
twice, until the 4th century when it
finally took its current position.

23. This is the lightning of the sacred flame which marks the
opening of the Modern Olympic Games
The lightning of the sacred flame