Olympia is a small town in Elis, on the Peloponnese peninsula, famous for the nearby archaeological site of the same name, which was an important panhellenic religious sanctuary of ancient Greece, where the ancient Olympic Games were held. The site was dedicated primarily to Zeus and attracted visitors from all over the Greek world as one of a group of such "panhellenic" centers that helped build the identity of the ancient Greeks as a nation. Despite the name, it is nowhere near Mount Olympus in northern Greece, where the Twelve Olympians, the main deities of ancient Greek religion, are believed to have lived.
