Images in this photo gallery are from Olympia, home of ancient games and the 5th century BC Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae. The Temple and Ancient Olympia are both designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are situated in the western Peloponnese prefecture of Elia.
Magically set in a lush valley between two rivers on the north western coast, Ancient Olympia, the birthplace and spiritual home of the Olympic Games (initiated by Herakles to celebrate the completion of his 12...
more »Images in this photo gallery are from Olympia, home of ancient games and the 5th century BC Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae. The Temple and Ancient Olympia are both designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are situated in the western Peloponnese prefecture of Elia.
Magically set in a lush valley between two rivers on the north western coast, Ancient Olympia, the birthplace and spiritual home of the Olympic Games (initiated by Herakles to celebrate the completion of his 12 labours) continues to captivate as it did for a thousand years from 776 BC, when Greeks assembled in war and peace to celebrate the games and life.
Amidst its shady groves of pine, olive and blooming Judas trees, Olympia's evocative ruins of its celebrated past are on show, including the remains of the Palaestra where the athletes trained, the stadium where the foot races were held and the hippodrome where the horse events took place. Furthermore its terrific museum is full of world class exhibits, including the Praxiteles' marble statue of Hermes, possibly the finest figurative sculpture ever made.
At its centre, in the sacred sanctuary, the great 5th century Temple of Zeus lays in ruins. Its colossal Doric columns lay toppled in the ground unmoved since being destroyed by massive earthquakes in the 6th century. Comparable in size to the Parthenon, The Temple of Zeus housed the 12 metre high golden statue of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
The well preserved Greek temple of Apollo Epikourios of Bassae or Vasses stands majestically in dramatic isolation among rugged remote mountainous. Attributed to Iktinos, who was the chief designer of the Parthenon, the Temple dates from around 450 BC and is unique in that it incorporates Doric, Ionic and Corinthian Greek architectural elements within its structure.The temple has been covered in a white tent since 1999 in order to protect the ruins from the elements.
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