The temple of Hera, one of the oldest monumental temples in Greece, lies in the north-west corner of the sacred precinct of the Altis, on the south slopes of Kronios hill, confined by a powerful terrace wall. It was dedicated to the Olympian sanctuary by the inhabitants of Skillous, an ancient city of Eleia, this being one of the reasons it was important to the Ancient Greeks. The temple was dedicated to the Olympian God Hera, who was believed to be the wife and sister of Zeus; this was the main factor as to why the Ancient Greeks saw this building as significant. The fact that it was one of the oldest monumental temples made makes it more sacred, and part of the Ancient Greeks custom.
The stadium of Olympia, situated east of the sacred Altis enclosure, was where the ancient Olympic Games and the Heraia, the women's games in honor of Hera, were held. It was built in the Classical period, the time in which the temple of Zeus was constructed. It didn’t have any seating and spectators would watch from embankments, and the track was very wide. Before the sixth century BC the running events were held on a flat area along the treasuries' terrace, east of the great altar of Zeus. The Olympic Games were very important to the Ancient Greeks, as they were used for military training, and had many religious links.
The bouleuterion, or Council House, is one of the most ancient and important buildings of the sanctuary of Olympia. This is as it was the seat both of the Elean Senate, whose members were accountable for the organisation of the games, and possibly of the hellanodikai, or umpires. This is where the athletes registered, along with where their names and the program of events were announced. It was also where any offences and pleas were tried, as well as where penalties were decided.
The Leonidaion, located at the south-west corner of the sanctuary, outside the sacred precinct of the Altis, was a large and luxurious hostel for illustrious visitors to the Olympic Games. It was built in approximately 330 BC and was remodeled twice in Roman times. This building shows that the Ancient Greeks had connections to people living outside of Olympia, and as the hotel was large and luxurious, it suggests that the Ancient Greeks felt their guests were an important part of their civilization.
The Palaestra is situated west of the Altis enclosure, near the Kladeos river. Built in the third century BC as part of the gymnasium complex, it was used to practice boxing, wrestling and jumping. This was clearly important in relation to the Olympics and general athletic competition; athletes would be commonly practicing all year round, thus the Palaestra was essential for their training.
One of the oldest and most important buildings at Olympia was the Prytaneion; it was the administrative centre of the sanctuary's political life and of the Olympic Games. It was the seat of the magistrates, the high officials who oversaw the sacrifices performed monthly to honour the gods. The room held the Olympic eternal flame, an extremely important symbol for the Olympic games.
The ancient gymnasium was adjacent to the palaestra, which extends the gymnasium complex towards the south. It functioned as a training facility for competitors in public games, it was also however a place for socialising and engaging in intellectual pursuits. Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, considered gymnastics to be an important part of education; this belief was common throughout Ancient Greeks, which made the gymnasium an important part of Olympia.
The buildings in the sanctuary were important to the Ancient Greeks for a variety of reasons; however religion is a major factor, as it was a huge part of their culture. The older buildings in the sanctuary tend to also have high level of importance, which shows they saw historical buildings as important. Buildings that were related to the Olympic Games tended to also be important, as the games were loved, and enjoyed by the majority of Ancient Greeks.
