Olympia: Ancient Olympic History 4-Hour Tour

During this 4-hour, the self-guided tour you will have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to explore the well-preserved site where the Olympic games were born.

The town of Elis was an important urban center in ancient Greece. It was the capital of the Elean kingdom in western Greece. This town was responsible for the organization of the Olympic Games in ancient Olympia. Elis was built in a beneficial position, on the left shore of Peneios river. The archaeological research indicates the first signs of human presence in the area, very early in the prehistoric era. According to Pausanias the first historical leader of the area was Oxylos from Aetolia. He was the first king and the person who established the Olympic Games. The museum of Ancient Elis is located on the southeast edge of the ancient city. The creation of the museum was started in 2002 and was finished in 2004. The architecture of the central building is totally harmonized with the natural landscape.

The ancient Olympic Games were the most important sports event in the Greek world. According to the mythology, it was Hercules who established the games in order to celebrate the success of his 12 labors. The sports were organized in Olympia which was the most important temple in the honor of the king of the gods, Zeus. The games were organized from 776 BC every four years. Before the start of the games, religious rituals were taken places to honor the gods. The participants were swearing in front of a statue of Zeus to keep the rules and the laws. In all over the known world, heralds were sent to inform humanity for the games. During the period of the games, all the armed fights were forbidden in order to keep safe those traveling to and from Olympia. The Olympic Games were continued until the first Christian years. In the 19th century, there was an idea to restart the tradition of the Olympic Games under a new perspective. For that purpose, Pierre De Coubertin, a French baron, organized a conference in Paris. In that meeting, the International Committee was created. At the ancient era, all the participants in the games achieved rewards, the modern events followed the same tradition. The combination of culture and athleticism is what it makes the Olympic Games unique until now. Pierre de Coubertin died in 1938, and his heart was buried in the land of Ancient Olympia.

View where the complete ancient temples and famous statues would have been standing as well as watch the ancient athletes preparing for the different sporting events. Admire one of the seven wonders of the world, the 13m tall gold and ivory statue of Zeus. Walk to the stadium area and watch the athletes compete in a foot race around the track. The 3-D reconstruction of ancient Olympia is based on scientific research provided from the ruins of this famous archaeological site, prepare to be amazed as the mask takes you back in time.

This tour is a must-do for athletes and all those who love the Olympics and the Olympic spirit that remains today!