Greek government and Microsoft announce partnership to digitally preserve ancient Olympia

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Microsoft Olympia

The Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sport of Greece government is partnering with Microsoft to digitally preserve and restore ancient Olympia, the original home of the Olympic games. This new Ancient Olympia: Common Grounds project allows people to explore ancient Olympia as it stood more than 2,000 years ago through an immersive experience via an interactive mobile app, web-based desktop experience, or a Microsoft HoloLens 2 exhibition at the Athens Olympic Museum.

  • The project digitally preserves 27 monuments at the site, among them the original Olympic Stadium, the temples of Zeus and Hera, and the workshop of the renowned sculptor Phidias.
  • In the 3D experience, these buildings are recreated in lifelike detail, painstakingly researched by the Hellenic Ministry’s expert archaeologists to be as true as possible to their original forms. This includes historical timelines of the site’s changes over time and depictions of artifacts from each period.  

“Ancient Olympia: Common Grounds is a unique way of experiencing Greece’s proud cultural heritage. Visitors around the world can virtually visit the ancient site of Olympia and experience history firsthand using augmented reality technology,” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis, prime minister of Greece.

“The project to digitally preserve ancient Olympia is a stunning achievement in cultural heritage, bringing together humanity and cutting-edge technology to benefit the world and empower coming generations with new ways to explore our past,” said Brad Smith, president and vice chair, Microsoft.

You can check out the web experience at olympiacommongrounds.gr, and the app can be downloaded on the iOS and Android app stores. The Ancient Olympia: Common Grounds Exhibition, featuring the HoloLens 2 Virtual Tour, is now open to the public at the Athens Olympic Museum.

Microsoft Olympia

Source: Microsoft

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