Ancient Olympia

Use your phone to discover Ancient Olympia as it existed and thrived thousands of years ago.

During the Ancient Games, Olympia became the center of the ancient Greek world, a place where Greeks converged despite differences especially in politics

to celebrate humanity in a festival named after this sacred ground. Now you can step back in time and experience the Ancient Games, as they once were.

The Ancient Olympia app is more than a history lesson; it’s an exercise in cultural archeology. Your iPhone’s camera unlocks a guided, Augmented Reality (AR) tour of the site’s extensive monuments, brought back to life with Microsoft AI.

Despite its cultural significance, what remains of Olympia today is stunningly little. The site has endured wars, earthquakes, and the impact of climate change in an ever-modernizing world. But with this app, you can explore reconstructed monuments in 360 degrees — and even go inside some of them. Learn how the Ancient Games operated, from sporting events like wrestling and chariot racing, to religious spectacles featuring oracles and sacrifices.

Some monuments of the Sanctuary date all the way to 600 BC, while the Temple of Zeus (470 - 456 BC) was home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: a giant golden sculpture honoring the king of the gods and Greek god of thunder. Enter the reconstructed temple to learn all about the massive statue’s construction and meaning to ancient Greeks.

More than 40,000 people gathered at Olympia in the spirit of peace, harmony, cooperation, equality, fairness, and respect. While the activities at Ancient Olympia took place long ago, they are rooted in values humanity still recognizes and holds dear today. Find common ground with the past in this living time capsule, powered by Microsoft AI.

Download Ancient Olympia to start exploring.

This app was developed in close partnership between Microsoft and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture & Sport.

Learn more about the project at microsoft.com/inculture/arts/ancient-olympia-common-grounds.

App features:

-Guided audio tour of the monuments of Ancient Olympia, available in Greek or English (note that this app is best experienced with the use of personal headphones) — available on-site at Olympia or anywhere in the world

-Fully scalable reconstructions of each monument in 3D or AR, showing their classical completion

-Video recreation of the grounds as they stood during the Ancient Games

-Navigate between the ruins with a built-in map

-Learn about the 5-day lineup during the Ancient Games incorporating athletic competition, religious ritual, music, dining, and socializing

-Go inside select monuments to explore special features and intricate details

-Explore the app in up to 20 languages: English, Greek, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian (Bokmål), Dutch, Polish, Russian, Swedish, Turkish, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, German, Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified), Chinese (Mandarin, Traditional)

-Make the app work for you with a variety of accessibility features