Panathenaic Stadium in Athens
Visiting the Olympic arena in Athens and sitting in the marble seats once reserved for royalty, was a special experience where we physically felt part of history.
This site in Athens is the Panathenaic, meaning beautiful marble. This extraordinary venue is the only stadium ever built entirely of marble.
This site was originally laid out in the 4th century BCE as a venue for athletic and cultural competitions held in honor of the goddess of Athena. These games were important events in Athens combining sport, music and poetry. In the 2nd century CE. The stadium was expanded and rebuilt in marble that transformed this arena into a venue that could seat tens of thousands.
These marble seats we sat in were reserved for dignitaries and royalty and they offered a commanding view of the track below.
Over the centuries, the stadium declined. It was in the 19th century that the Panathenaic Stadium was excavated and restored. It played a central role in the Olympic tradition and hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.
Today, the Stadium is a living monument that continues to host events. Sitting in those royal seats offers the perspective from which leaders watch athletes test the limits of the human body.
Read More From Nancy
Ghandi Smriti – India
More than a decade ago, on my second trip to India, I visited one of the most memorable places I have ever stood: Gandhi Smriti, the site where Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. What made this visit so moving were the footprints. Set into the stone pathway, I walked where Gandhi took his final steps on […]
Nafplio and Worry Beads
While visiting Greece this year, we drove to Nafplio, a town that was built for wandering with its narrow cobblestone streets. This romantic seaport town in the Peloponnese, was part of Greece’s first modern capital. Among its charms, we discovered a shop filled with strands of komboloi or Greek worry beads. These beads are not […]
Lotus Temple – Delhi India
The Lotus Temple in Delhi is one of those places that has stayed with me long after I visited it. This is a place where silence surrounds you. In a city as vibrant, crowded and sensory-rich as Delhi, the stillness of this temple was powerful. Completed in 1986, the Lotus Temple is a Baha’i House […]
