Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion)
Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion) features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Athens. Give it roughly ~45 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Athens Athens guide
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About Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion)
A temple that took roughly 638 years to build, and of its 104 colossal columns just sixteen remain, one lying in neat slices where a storm felled it in 1852.
The Temple of Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympieion, was one of the largest temples of the ancient world, measuring about 110 metres long and 44 metres wide. Construction began in the 6th century BC under the Peisistratid tyrants, was left unfinished for centuries, resumed under the Seleucid king Antiochus IV in 174 BC, and was finally completed by the Roman emperor Hadrian around 131 AD, a span of roughly 638 years. It was the first major temple to use the Corinthian order on its exterior.
The temple was designed with 104 colossal columns, each about 17 metres high, arranged in double rows. Hadrian dedicated the building and installed a colossal gold-and-ivory statue of Zeus in the cella. Only 16 columns survive today: 15 still stand, and one lies where it collapsed during a storm in 1852. After the Roman era the temple was extensively quarried for building material.
Did you know? This was the first major building anywhere to wear the ornate Corinthian order on its outside, the leafy, elaborate column tops that later crowned monuments right across the Roman world.
How long is a visit to Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion)?
Set aside roughly ~45 min for Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion). That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion) worth your time?
Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion) is among the 35 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Athens, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Athens
Day 2 of the Athens in 2 days itinerary →Day 2 of the Athens in 3 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion)
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