Athens, the southernmost capital on the European mainland, is one of the world's oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years. According to Greek mythology the city was named after Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom. Classical Athens was one of the most powerful city-states in ancient Greece. It was a centre for democracy, the arts, education and philosophy, and was highly influential throughout the European continent, particularly in Ancient Rome. For this reason it is often regarded as the cradle of Western civilisation and the birthplace of democracy.

The Olympieion (aka Temple of Olympian Zeus) was one of the largest temples in ancient Greece. Construction dates back to the 6th century BC.

According to the original plan, the Olympieion was a dipteros with eight columns on the narrow sides and 21 columns on the long sides. With a base area of ​​108 × 41 meters, it was probably no coincidence that the temple was almost as long as the monumental Heraion of Samos, begun around the same time under the tyrant Polycrates (the Parthenon, built almost 100 years later, had dimensions of approximately 31 m x 67 m).

The appearance of the present-day ruins (behind the scaffolding) is characterized by a design from the High Hellenistic period, dating from about 350 years later and completed by Hadrian another 300 years later. The floor plan was only slightly altered, and the number of columns on the long sides was reduced to 20, spaced at exactly the same distance. Instead of the originally planned Doric columns, approximately 17-meter-high Corinthian columns were erected, 15 of which are still standing today.

Seen from the Acropolis