Hera's Altar

East of the Temple of Hera, towards to the central axis of the temple, the foundations of an altar are being saved, which was dedicated to the goddess Hera. It is a small, narrow and long construction, made of porphyry, with length of 5.80m. and a width of 3.50m. It was built in the 6th c. BCX., the same time period with Heraion. In this spot, there was a simpler altar of Hera, which was built  by the ashes of the sacrificed animals to the goddess, just like the large altar of Zeus.

At the altar of Hera is the Olympic Flame Altar. The ceremony was established in 1936 at the Berlin Olympics and since then, it is happening every 4 years, before the Olympics.

The sacred flame is lit by a mirror with the rays of the sun, and then a procession of priests carries it to the Stadium. From there begins her long journey to the city that hosts the Olympic Games, thus conveying the message of peace and solidarity, that Olympia sends around the world.