Exhibition Opening ''Olympia: Myth, cult, games''
The opening of the archaeological exhibition themed "Olympia: Myth, cult, games" took place at the Martin Gropius Bau in Berlin on Thursday 30th August, 2012. The exhibition will last until January 7th, 2013 and is organized with the cooperation of Martin Gropius Bau, the Ministry of Education and Religion, Culture and Sports / General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture - Berlin Branch, the German Archaeological Institute and the Collection of Antiquities of the State Museums of Berlin.
The exhibition is under the auspices of the President of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias and the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Joachim Gauck and is carried out with the subsidy of the Capital Cultural Fund (Hauptsadtkutlurfonds) Deutscher Sparkasse und Giroverband and the support of the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation and the A. G. Leventis Foundation.
The exhibition’s theme is Olympia as a major sanctuary for all Greece and the holding of the Olympic Games. Many museums and collections are taking part in the exhibition with ancient works, such as, among others, the Museum of Ancient Olympia, the National Archaeological Museum and the Numismatic Museum of Greece.
The exhibition is based primarily on the 515 ancient objects found in the excavations at the sanctuary of Olympia, which are kept in the Olympia Museums, many of which will be presented to the general public for the first time. Also, the exhibition includes 49 ancient works from the collections of the National Archaeological Museum and the Numismatic Museum, which scientifically document the history of the sanctuary of Olympia since the beginnings of worship in the Mycenaean years until the Roman period, the importance and timeless radiation of the sanctuary throughout the ancient world, as well as the holding of the ancient Olympic games.
In total, more than 1,000 works will be presented at the exhibition. In addition to the ancient objects and excavation findings of the last 140 years, the tribute is completed by digital representations under the theme of the Olympic Games.
In March 2013, the exhibition will be transferred to the Qatar Olympic Museum, in Doha, where it will include a reference to the modern Olympic Games. The exhibition's last stop will be Athens, in the second half of 2013.
