Archaeological Museum of Ancient Elis

Functionality and spaciousness inside, and elegance and perfect harmony of its external architecture with the surrounding area, are the features that make the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Elis the region’s cultural jewel.
Built in the period 2002-2004, the museum has a reception hall, an exhibition space with four rooms and a corridor, as well as an internal, partly peristyle courtyard which houses the mosaic floor with the labors of Hercules and the symbols of the Muses. Another of its notable exhibits is the marble statue of Hermes which reminds of the similar statue of Hermes of Olympia, by Praxitelis. All the findings housed, from systematic excavations, collecting, donations and rescue excavations, reflect almost in their entirety the history of the ancient city, from the Paleolithic era to late antiquity.
The archaeological site of Elis, which was the capital city of the homonymous state of Ilia, and the cradle of the ancient Olympic Games, comprises the ancient market, the residential district, the cemeteries, the acropolis and the theater. The latter, with its well-preserved scenic building and earthen hollow, is the area’s most representative monument.