Temple of Olympian Zeus

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Address: Corner of Amalias & Vassilisis Olgas, Athens
Hours: Open daily 8am - 5pm
Admission: Acropolis admission: € 12

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Ruin - Ancient, Temple

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The Temple of Olympian Zeus (or Olympieio) has been a ruin almost since it was built. The Athenian rulers who began its construction in the 6th century BC set out to build the greatest temple in the world, but it was not actually finished until about the 2nd century AD (over 600 years late!) by the Roman emperor Hadrian. By then it was the largest temple in Greece, bigger than the Parthenon. In the 3rd century AD it was looted by barbarians and its glory days were over. Since then it has slowly fallen into ruin.

The temple was dedicated to the worship of Zeus, king of the gods of Mount Olympus, and once contained a massive statue of the god. Of this, there is no trace and only fifteen of its original 104 columns still stand. Over the centuries much of its marble has been recycled or stolen for other temples, or perhaps, over the centuries, a bit of garden paving.

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All Temple of Olympian Zeus Reviews

Review by James M, November 2012
Doing what: Athens Half-Day Sightseeing Tour

Excellent tour! Our guide, Daphne, was extremely knowledgeable, answered questions, and gave us a lot of insights into the times, the construction of the temples and the mythology that surrounded the temples. Highly recommend the tour.

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Review by Paul K Phillips, October 2012
Doing what: Athens Half-Day Sightseeing Tour

My first full day in Athens had to begin with the Athens half day tour, simply because if anyone is coming to Athens, then it would stand to reason that they are there to visit the Acropolis. Our tour guide was excellent, and gave details and a little history into everything we passed that was of some importance. The Acropolis and the museum, of course, were the highlights of this trip, and the reason I was there, and wish now I had also booked the Acropolis night tour. I don’t think that this needs to be your first time visit to Athens though to enjoy the tour, and I would certainly go again. I would advise the wearing of shoes with good grip on the soles, as when you are in the Acropolis, (which by the way is NOT the temple that you see, but everything within the walls), you will find that the path can be very slippery and uneven. There is a refreshment bar near to the entrance.
Once you have visited the Acropolis, the next stop is the museum, where no photography is allowed at all, until you reach the top floor. On approach to the entrance, you will walk across a glazed floor and look down onto excavations and see the mosaic decorated floor of ancient Roman ruins. This extends well into the museum itself, and again, you will be walking on glass.
Fantastic half day that gives you an introduction into ancient Greece.

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Review by Anonymous, August 2010
Doing what: Athens Half-Day Sightseeing Tour

This is a well constructed tour for any new comers to Athens. The main focus of the tour is a visit to the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum. The tour also goes past some of Athens key sites including the old Olympic stadium, the Temple of Zeus and the Museum of Archaeology. Our tour guide, Rhea, was friendly, extremely knowledgeable, and had a keen passion for everything that was on the tour. Her enthusiasm really made the tour complete. If you have not been to Athens before, this would be a great way for anyone to start learning a bit more about the city. It also includes a ticket that can be used to visit some of the other sites in Athens such as the Temple of Zeus and so is great value for money.

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Practical Info

The Temple of Olympian Zeus stands close to the base of the Acropolis. Nearest metro is Akropoli. It is also an easy walk from Syntagma Square, passing by the National Gardens.

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