The Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens

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The building of the Temple of Olympian Zeus actually began in the 6th Century by Peisistratos but work was stopped either because of a lack of money or because Pisistratus's son, Hippias, was overthrown in 510 BC. The temple was not finished until the Emperor Hadrian completed in 131 AD, seven hundred years later. There were other attempts to continue the building. The Classical Greeks (487-379)left it unfinished because they believed it was too big and symbolized the arrogance of people who believed they were equal to the Gods. During the Third Century when the Macedonians ruled Athens work was begun again by Antiochus the IV of Syria who wanted to build the world's largest temple and hired the Roman architect Cossotius to complete the job, but this ended when Antiochus died. In 86 BC, during Roman rule the general Sulla took two columns from the unfinished temple to Rome for the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill which influenced the development of the Corinthian style in Rome.

Originally there were 104 Corinthian columns of which only 15 remain standing. One of the columns actually blew down in a storm in 1852. Hadrian had erected a giant gold and ivory status of Zeus inside the temple with an equally large one of himself next to it. Nothing remains of these statues. It is not known when the temple of Zeus was destroyed but it probably came down in an earthquake during the mediaeval period. Like other ancient buildings much of it was taken away for building materials. In the early 1800s a stylite (a group of ascetics who spent long periods sitting or standing on top of pillars or columns. The word comes from the Greek stylos for column.) built his dwelling on top of one of the columns of the temple and it can be seen in early paintings and drawings.

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The Temple of Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympieion, is a colossal ruined temple in the centre of the Greek capital Athens that was formerly dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods.
Construction began in the 6th century BC during the rule of the Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD some 650 years after the project had begun. During the Roman periods it was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.

It is be a major tourist attraction.
The temple is made of fine marble brought from Mount Pentelus and originally measured 96 meters long and 40 meters wide.
There were originally 104 Corinthian columns, each 17 meters high; 48 of these stood in triple rows under the pediments and 56 in double rows at the sides. Only 15 columns remain standing today, with lovely Corinthian capitals still in place. A 16th column was blown down during a gale in 1852 and is still lying where it fell.

When I was see this temple from Acropolis, I didn't saw nothing especial ... only when I stood beside the Temple of Olympian Zeus, I feels, how great and grandiose it is.
When you standing in there, you feeling how small creature you is in this world.
I think it is place what you must to see in Athens too.

In here is shot video clip, what I've made with photo camera late evening.

You can visit this place with the ticket of Acropolis. About the ticket prices you can look from Acropolis tip.
If you don't visit the Acropolis, then ticket only to the Temple of Olympian Zeus is cost €2


Open: Tues-Sun 8:30am-3pm

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The Temple of Olympian Zeus (or Naos tou Olimpiou Dios), also known as the Olympieion, is a colossal ruined temple that was formerly dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods. Construction considered beginning in the VI-th century BC, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. During the Roman periods it was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.

You may watch my high resolution photo of Athens on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 37º 58' 8.40" N 23º 44' 2.20" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Temple of Olympian Zeus .

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The Temple of Olympian Zeus is a colossal ruined temple in the centre of the Greek capital Athens that was formerly dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC during the rule of the Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD some 650 years after the project had begun. During the Roman periods it was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.

The temple's glory was shortl ived, as it fell into disuse after being pillaged in a barbarian invasion in the 3rd century AD. It was probably never repaired and was reduced to ruins thereafter. In the centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, the temple was extensively quarried for building materials to supply building projects elsewhere in the city. Despite this, substantial remains remain visible today and it continues to be a major tourist attraction.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus is an impressive sight. Only 15 of the temples original 10 pillars are still standing, and a couple of the pillars, which spilled to the ground in an earthquake in 1852, lay as they fell to the groun in a dominoe fashion. What remains certainly allows one to imagine the size of this impressive temple when it stood. I rank this as one of my favorite sites in Athens, as the sun does not beat on you as it does on the Acropolis and the site is much less crowded. Make a point to see this one

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The Temple is the largest built in Greece for Zeus and its construction was finally completed in AD 131 under Hadrian after six centuries delay. To commemorate that, Hadrian built an arch. On the side of the arch that faces the Acropolis, it reads "This is Athens, the city of Theseus." On the other side, it reads "This is the city of Hadrian and not of Theseus."

You can see the arch for free. Admission to the Temple comes with the ticket you buy for the Acropolis.

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This temple is the largest in Greece. Yes, it is even bigger than Parthenon. You really need to involve your imagination to see how big it was when it was the whole structure... It is really impressive.
The work on temple of Olympian Zeus begun in 6 century BC, but was not completed until 650 years later. Only 15 columns left out of 104. Each one is 17 meters high. You can see on my photo how small those people are comparing to the columns of the temple.

After visiting this site you can continue further towards the olympic stadium, and then visit National Art Gallery.

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The temple of Olympian Zeus is the biggest temple in Greece. It was first built in the 6th century BC but completed only in AD 211 by Hadrian. Only 15 Corinthian columns remain today, a testimony to the ravages of war and weather.

Another famous temple in Athens is the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the largest in Greece but only 15 of the 104 columns still stand today. The Roman Emperor Hadrian dedicated the temple to Zeus Olympios or Jupiter in Rome in AD 132.

While the temple may once held many fabulous statues of the king & gods, nothing remains of the temples besides the columns.

The building of this temple started in the 6th century BC, but was finished in the 2nd century AD.

It was once the largest temple in Greece.

The marble temple used to consist of 104 Corinthian columns, but only 15 of these remain standing.