The Panathenaic Stadium holds a unique world record: on April 4 1968, AEK Athens won the European Cupwinners' Cup (beating Slavia Prague) in front of 60,000 spectators, the largest crowd ever to attend a basketball match. A short walk from Syntagma or Evangelismos metro stations. It is the finishing point for the annual Athens Classic Marathon. The Panathenaic Stadium, or Kallimarmaro, is an ancient turned modern stadium. The Panathenaic Stadium, or Kallimarmaro, is an ancient turned modern stadium. It is amazing that a structure, having its roots in the days of Socrates and Plato was first used in 329 BC, over 2,300 years ago, for sports events. [11], In the 4th century BC the Athenian statesman Lykourgos (Lycurgus) built an 850-foot (260 m) long stadium of Poros limestone. The arena was completely rebuilt according to its original plan and now houses various competitions and is open to the public. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. The entrance fee covers: • entry to the stadium • access to the whole site • an automatic audio guide tour of the site • entrance to the Vaulted passage • the right to run on the track • … How to say Panathenaic in English? All languages . The Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Panathenaic Stadium, were both largely funded by the wealthy Athenian aristocrat Herodes Atticus. The spectacular Panathenaic Stadium remains one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions and is a shining beacon of modern Athens. "[20] These dates (139/140-143-144 AD) are now widely cited as construction dates of the stadium of Herodes Atticus. During many centuries the Panathenaic Stadium was practically abandoned, until the remains of the venue were dug out during the nineteenth century and restored to host the Olympic Games in 1896. The Panathenaic Stadium “deliberately reminded the Athenians—and the rest of the Greek world—of Athenian greatness, when the city dominated the … The Panathenaic Stadium (Greek: Παναθηναϊκό Στάδιο, romanized: Panathinaïkó Stádio, [panaθinaiˈko sˈtaðio])[a] or Kallimarmaro (Καλλιμάρμαρο, [kaliˈmarmaro], lit. "beautiful marble") is a multi-purpose stadium in Athens, Greece. Photograph: Why Athens, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), The Panathenaic Stadium, through the ages, The glory of the Panathenaic Stadium today. Entrance of participants to the stadium. [25], Herodes Atticus built it as "an architectural means of self-representation, and it did something analogous. Introduction. By the 20th century, locals came to call the venue “Kallimarmaro” (made of fine marble) and continue to do so today. "[19] According to Richard Ernest Wycherley the stadium probably had stone seating "only for a privileged few. The Panathenaic Stadium, first constructed in 566 B.C has been the venue of choice for noble competition (and lots of nudity), since antiquity. The stadium – built in the 4th century BC and restored for the first modern Olympic games in 1896 – was first used as a venue for the Panathenaic athletic contests. The stadium is named for the Panathenaic Games, which were first held in the sixth century BC. The dictators exploited its setting to showcase their supposed popularity and propagate their new, "revolutionary" political culture. Its architectural for was self-consciously old-fashioned, yet in scale and function the building was thoroughly modern. The Panathenaic Stadium in 1895, as workers prepared the stadium for its marble construction in a race against time for the 1896 Olympics. In the obverse of the coin, the stadium is depicted. The Panathenaic Stadium or Kallimarmaro (Καλλιμάρμαρο, [kaliˈmarmaro], lit. The stadium itself is really impressive and it looks new (rennovated at the beginning of the '00's); due to the fact that the ticket includes a... Read all 6,721 reviews. Rome2rio makes travelling from Syntagma Square to Panathenaic Stadium easy. [22][12][17] Welch writes that the stadium was completed by 143, in time for Panathenaic festival. In more recent years, the stadium has been often used to honour the homecoming of victorious Greek athletes, most notably the Greece national football team after its victory at the UEFA Euro 2004 on 5 July 2004[43] as well as Greek medalists in recent Olympic Games. The Panathenaic Stadium influenced the stadium architecture in the West in the 20th century. [33] On 6 April (25 March according to the Julian calendar then in use in Greece), the games of the First Olympiad were officially opened; it was Easter Monday for both the Western and Eastern Christian Churches and the anniversary of Greece's independence. This is one of the best experiences we've had in Athens. The arena was first laid in 330 BC by Lycurgus. The word “stadium” comes from the ancient Greek measure of length, where one “stadion” was approximately 185 metres and equivalent to the length of the track. On 23–24 July 1985 the "Rock in Athens" Festival took place featuring singers and bands like, On 2 October 1988 the "Live AID – Concert for AIDS" was held in the stadium including artists like, On 5 October 2008, the stadium hosted the, Ionikos Nea Filadelfeia Indoor Hall (historic), This page was last edited on 31 December 2020, at 22:15. No need to register, buy now! Further, more thorough, excavation was conducted by the German-born architect Ernst Ziller in 1869–70. After the rise of Christianity in the 4th century it was largely abandoned. The London 2012 Olympics started here.. Panathenaic Stadium: No need to buy ticket - See 6,654 traveler reviews, 5,046 candid photos, and great deals for Athens, Greece, at Tripadvisor. It stands there to this day. It is a sacred place not only for the religious people but also for those who love sports. One side of the throne includes a relief showing an olive tree and a table on which rests a Panathenaic amphora with the front leg in the form of an owl. "[16] Averoff donated 920,000 drachmas to this project. [37], From the mid- to late 1960s, the stadium was used by AEK Basketball Club. The stadium hosted the 1906 Intercalated Games from 22 April to 2 May. This is one of the best experiences we've had in Athens. The restored Panathenaic Stadium had been used for the 1896 Summer Olympics and the 1906 Intercalated Games, held out of series. It is the world's oldest stadium which is still in use, and the only one in the world entirely built in white marble. It is from here that the Olympic Flame is … Averoff obliged and financed the construction of the Panathenaic Stadium, insisting it be built entirely of marble from Mt Penteli, as was used to construct the Acropolis. CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (. Find all the transport options for your trip from Syntagma Square to Panathenaic Stadium right here. By the time the stadium was enlarged in the second century AD by Herodes Atticus, it had seating space for around 50,000 spectators… [12] Tiers of stone benches were arranged around the track. Photograph: Why Athens. Do you need to book in advance to visit Panathenaic Stadium? [38], During the Regime of the Colonels (1967–74), large annual events were held at the stadium, particularly the "Festival of the Military Virtues of the Greeks" (in late August-early September) and the "Revolution of 21 April 1967", the date of the coup that brought the right-wing regime to power. After Hellenistic festivals and bloody spectacles were banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius I in the late 4th century, the stadium was abandoned and fell into ruin. It was due to the success of this Modern Olympics, that the tradition of holding the games has continued ever since then. [20][b] Tobin suggests that "Herodes built the stadium soon after [his father] Atticus's death, which occurred around A.D. 138. European travelers wrote of "magical rites enacted by young Athenian maidens in the ruined vaulted passage, aimed at finding a good husband. Discobolus statue outside the stadium by Konstantinos Dimitriadis, This article is about the historical stadium. "[16], Following Greece's independence, archaeological excavation as early as 1836 uncovered traces of the stadium of Herodes Atticus. Originally, since the 6th century BC, a racecourse existed at the site of the stadium. The Olympic Torch relay and handover ceremony takes place at the Panathenaic Stadium for both the Summer and Winter Olympics. According to Philostratus, it was completed four years later, which would have been in 143/4. [31] Based on the findings of Ziller, a reconstruction plan was prepared by the architect Anastasios Metaxas in the mid-1890s. For the minor neighborhood surrounding the stadium, see, Though traditional in building materials and construction technique, the track included modern features that were specifically designed to accommodate Roman entertainments. The Panathenaic Stadium and Philopappos Hill from the Hill of Ardettus on July 21, 2019.jpg 6,000 × 4,000; 4.94 MB The Panathenaic Stadium and the Acropolis from Ardettus Hill on November 29, 2019.jpg 5,974 × 3,983; 4.52 MB [...]. The Panathenaic Stadium is located on the site of an ancient stadium and for many centuries hosted games in which nude male athletes competed (gymnikoi agones) in track events, athletics championships as we would call them today.The games, which since antiquity had been held in an area far from the city, were included in the programme of the Panathenaia festival … It may thus be argued that the Panathenaic Stadium of Herodes Atticus, who was both Athens' leading son and a Roman consul, represents a middle ground between two conflicting cultural expectations. [36], Reconstruction works at the stadium, 1895. [34] The stadium was filled with an estimated 80,000 spectators, including King George I of Greece, his wife Olga, and their sons. Book your tickets online for Panathenaic Stadium, Athens: See 6,721 reviews, articles, and 5,175 photos of Panathenaic Stadium, ranked No.18 on Tripadvisor among 419 attractions in Athens. [22] During the Latin rule of Athens, Crusader knights held feasts of arms at the stadium. When the French gathered a world congress in 1894 to discuss the concept of a modern Olympic Games, it was agreed that Paris would host it in 1900 to coincide with their World Fair of the same year. During this time, the stadium received a complete transformation, changing from its original rectangular shape to a horseshoe, which was typical of stadiums during Roman times. The Panathenaic Stadium is open to the public and is still used for events in Athens Photograph: Why Athens. A few centuries later and after the site lay buried in soil and stripped of its valuable marble, the Panathenaic Stadium was set to start a new life as the idea of hosting the first modern Olympics in Athens took hold from the mid 1800’s. [23] The stadium was built at a time of resurgence of Greek culture in the mid-2nd century. Hellenic Olympic Committee, "Panathenean Stadium", informative pamphlet, not dated (after 2004). Keep your clothes on for a guided audio tour of this marble venue and explore the site of the Olympic Games and Greek sporting history.