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Temple of Olympian Zeus

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Scubabartek
Scubabartek
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4 out of 5
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Get in Free to the Temple of Olympian Zeus

  • October 31, 2008
  • Rated 3 of 5 by akakd from , Arizona
Get in Free to the Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Temple of Olympian Zeus was the largest temple in antiquity, taking 700 years to complete. Only 14 of the 104 columns remain. Check your ticket to the Acropolis/Parthenon. It may very well include a free visit inside the Temple of Zeus complex.

From journal Athens - Cradle of Civilization

Editor Pick

Zeus’s Temple and Hadrian’s Arch

  • September 26, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Carmen from Fairfax, Virginia
Zeus’s Temple and Hadrian’s Arch

I honestly think that if Greeks were allowed, they’d build apartment buildings on the Acropolis, and probably right on top of the Parthenon. Perhaps that’s the downfall for a country that can’t spit without hitting a ruin, but when viewing Hadrian’s Arch and Zues’s Temple across a busy road and through some telephone wires, you’ll probably feel a little less about the site than you normally would.

You can see the site from atop the Acropolis, and perhaps you think it’s not worth the walk to get there, using the ticket you bought for the Acropolis instead of paying an extra 2 euro to get in. Well, I’m here to say that you might want to rethink that. If you have one day in Athens, I think you could survive without seeing these ruins, but if you’ve got the time, this is a good way to spend an hour.

Zeus really knew how to appreciate a column. Originally, there were over a hundred of these Corinthian columns, but now there are only 15. But one of the most fascinating parts of the site is the column that was blown over in the 1800s. It really gives a good look into the building of a column, and it looks like the column bits were placed there like some crackers on a snack tray. The site also gives you an alternate view of the Acropolis, rather than the grassy knoll view, it shows you the wall that made it a strategic military point.

Nearby is Hadrian’s Arch which was built as a gate into the city of Athens by the Romans. It’s kind of neat to walk under it, and to get a view of the Acropolis through it, but all of the cars running in front of it and the wires hanging above it make IT a secondary photo op.

So it’s not a major site to see, but worth a short walk from the Acropoli metro station.

From journal Greece Is the Word: Part 1 - Athens

Temple of Olympian Zeus

  • August 12, 2003
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Sarah M from Leicester, United Kingdom
Once Greece's largest temple, the Temple of Olympian Zeus took 700 years to complete. Now only 15 of the 104 huge Corinthian columns remain. Next to the temple on the same site are remain also some other ruins or an ancient meeting place, including baths. Worth 10 or 15 minute look.

From journal Essential Athens

Temple of Zues

  • March 12, 2001
  • Rated 4 of 5 by sr92111 from Stratford, Connecticut
Temple of Zues

The Temple of Zeus is a great place to relax and see some ongoing discoveries of ancient history. There are lots of areas that have been dug out by archeologists and left in the original condition. Some of the many original pillars are still standing, with one that was blown over in modern times. There is an incredible view of the acropolis from this temple, as I'm sure the builders intended. The cost to get in is 500dr and is well worth it.

From journal Greece

Editor Pick

Temple of Olympian Zeus

  • October 24, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Scubabartek from Warszawa, Poland
Temple of Olympian Zeus

The temple is one of the only two remaining parts on the Olympieion site. The sheer size of this monument is incredible! There is only a few of the original Corinthian columns left of the original 104! This is a perfect site to sit down on a sunny day with a gyro in your hand and just admire it's beauty.

Interesting fact about the Temple of Olympian Zeus is the fact that it took almost 700 years to build. It was started in 515 BC by Peristratos and finished in 125 AD by Roman emperor Hadrian.

Close to the Temple, on Amalias Avenue you can take a closer look at the other remaining monument - Hadrian's Arch, built a few years later by the same emperor. During my visit it was all covered in cellophane for reconstruction, so wasn't very impressive.

From journal Athens - could be your best vacation ever!

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