The Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens

Greece › Athens › Archaeological Sites › Temple of Olympian Zeus
Updated: November 1, 2022
By Santorini Dave

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Large marble temple columns, with one fallen column

The Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens is located in the Olympieion archaeological site just south of the National Garden.

Tours and Tickets:
• Athens Pass Combo Ticket (7 archaeological sites + Acropolis Museum. No tour.)
• Athens Mythology Highlights Tour (Guided tour of Acropolis, Ancient Agora, and Temple of Olympian Zeus)

Temple of Olympian Zeus Hours and Information

  • Hours: Open daily. Summer (April to October) 8am – 8pm; last entrance to the site at 7:40pm. Winter (November to March) 8am – 5pm; last entrance to the site at 4:40pm. Open daily. Summer 8am – 8pm; last entrance to the site at 7:40pm. Hours are reduced gradually in the early fall to winter (check website for details). Closed 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Orthodox Easter Sunday, 25 & 26 December.
  • Website: odysseus.culture.gr
  • Location: Athens 105 57
  • Telephone: +30 210 922 6330
  • Admission Fee: Summer (April to October) entrance fee: 8€. Winter (November to March) entrance fee: 4€. Reduced admission 4€. For 30€, you can purchase a combo ticket for this and 6 additional sites: Acropolis, Ancient Agora of Athens, Hadrian’s Library, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Kerameikos and Aristotle’s Lyceum. Combo ticket valid for 5 days and offered all year round. Purchase on site or in advance online.
  • Free Entry: 6 March (in memory of Melina Mercouri), 18 April (International Monuments Day), 18 May (International Museums Day), the last weekend of September annually (European Heritage Days), 28 October, every first Sunday from November 1st to March 31st.
  • Parking: Street parking, nearby pay lots.
  • Nearest Metro: Acropoli

Map of the main structures of the Olympieion archaeological site in Athens, Greece

Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens

  • Located in the city center just south of the National Garden, about a 350-meter walk from the Acropolis museum and a 750-meter walk from Syntagma Square.
  • The largest feature (and namesake) of the Olympieion archaeological site, this towering temple was dedicated to Zeus, foremost of the Olympian Gods.
  • Construction began in the 6th century BC by Peisistratos, ruler of Athens between 561 and 527 BC. Construction was abandoned due to lack of funds or because the ruler was forced into exile during his reign. Several leaders attempted to finish construction, but the Roman emperor Hadrian was able to complete the temple in 131 AD, about 700 years later. He also built a colossal gold and ivory statue of Zeus, the largest cult statue of the ancient world.
  • The temple was the largest ever to be built in Greece, and featured 104 enormous columns. Of those, only 16 remain. The columns measure 17 meters high with a base diameter of 1.7 meters. There is one fallen column among them, having been blown down by gale force winds in 1852. – Nothing remains of the inner chamber of the temple or of the colossal statue of Zeus that it once housed.
  • After the fall of the Roman Empire, the temple was picked apart for building materials to supply other building projects in the city.
  • On April 27, 1759, during the Ottoman Empire, Athens governor Mustapha Agha Tzistarakis destroyed one of the columns in order to re-use the marble to make plaster for construction of the Tzistarakis Mosque. This mosque is located on Monastiraki Square.
  • The Olympieion archaeological site also includes ruins of Roman baths, Classical residences, a 5th century basilica, and a portion of the city’s fortification wall. Hadrian’s Arch is located just outside the site’s boundary.

Two people purchase tickets at the entrance booth of an archaeological site in Greece.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus is located in the Olympieion archaeological site in central Athens. The entrance to the site is a short walk from the Acropolis and Acropoli metro station, on Vasilssis Olgas Avenue.

View along a tree-lined gravel path up to the Acropolis of Athens

The level, crushed-gravel path that skirts the perimeter of the site is easily accessible and has good views of the Acropolis.

Map showing the locations of various features within the Olympeion archaeological site

Map of the site.

Marble remains of columns flanking an ancient temple entrance

Temple entrance.

Stone sign pointing to the temple of the Olympian Zeus in Athens.

Towering stone columns from an ancient temple

The ancient temple was the largest ever to be built in Greece.

Towering stone pillars in a grassy area, with one fallen to the ground.

When it was intact, the temple featured 104 enormous columns. Only 16 remain today, including one that was toppled in 1852 by gale force winds.

Towering marble columns in a grassy area on a sunny day

Stone ruins of a Roman Bathhouse, surrounded by grass and trees

Also within the Olympieion Site are the remains of Roman Bath…

Stone ruins showing the foundation markings of ancient homes

…the stone foundations of Classical Era houses…

Sign sitting on a low stone wall, indicating that it is the Wall of Themistocles.

…and ancient city walls.

Ancient stone walls in an archaeological site.

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About Santorini Dave

Santorini Dave Author Bio. Santorini Dave was started in 2011 by a guy who loved Greece, travel, and great hotels. We're now a small team of writers and researchers on a mission to deliver the most helpful travel content on the internet. We specialize in Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, and Greece and recommend the best hotels, best neighborhoods, and best family hotels in top destinations around the world. We also make hotel maps and travel videos. I can be contacted at dave@santorinidave.com.