Panathenaic Stadium 

The venue for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the athletics, gymnastics, weightlifting and wrestling competitions at Athens 1896, the stadium has since hosted a number of sporting and cultural events. These include the first Balkan Games in 1929, the opening ceremony of the 1997 IAAF World Championships, and the archery competitions and the finish of the men’s and women’s marathons at the Olympic Games Athens 2004.

Every two years, the stadium is also the setting for the official handover of the Olympic flame to the organisers of the next Olympic Summer or Winter Games. In April 2010, it opened to the public and became a visitor attraction, offering tours and educational programmes for schools. It is also a concert venue.

Originally built in 329 BC, the Panathenaic Stadium was restored for the first time in the 2nd century AD, when its capacity was 60,000, and was used for gladiator fights during the Roman era. It fell into disrepair after being excavated in the 19th century but was restored to its former glory for the 1896 Games, in part at least. The work had not been completed by the time the Games began and temporary wooden stands were installed. The stadium was also a popular cultural venue, hosting plays, concerts and festivals. During the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-22, the bowels of the stadium accommodated refugees fleeing the fighting.

The Panathenaic Stadium is so called because it was intended for use by all Athenians (the prefix – pan means “all, every, whole, all-inclusive”). It is also known as “Kallimarmaro”, Greek for “beautiful marble” on account of the stone used to rebuild it ahead of the 1896 Games.