Temple of Olympian Zeus

Athens Municipality, Greece

Freely accessible

Public space — no opening hours to check.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Opening hours: Mo-Su 08:00-18:30
Admission: regular 2 euros, reduced 1 euro

From OpenStreetMap — confirm before travelling

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The Temple of Olympian Zeus in central Athens is a colossal ruin dedicated to Zeus as head of the Olympian gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC under Athenian tyrants aspiring to build the greatest temple in the ancient world, but the project remained unfinished for nearly 640 years until Roman Emperor Hadrian completed it in the 2nd century AD. Built of Pentelic marble in the Corinthian order, the temple originally featured 104 massive columns rising to 17 meters and housed one of antiquity's largest cult statues. Its prominence was brief; after a Germanic invasion in 267 AD, the structure fell into disrepair and was never restored. Subsequent centuries saw it extensively quarried for building materials. Today, sixteen of the original colossal columns remain standing, making the site a remarkable testament to Greco-Roman architectural ambition and the ravages of time.