Olympos

Olympos, often rendered Olympus in English, is a name used for several places and, in mythology, the home of the Olympian gods. The term derives from the Greek Olympus, the legendary seat of power in ancient Greek religion, and has been applied to real locations as well as cultural references.

Mount Olympus in Greece is the highest mountain in the country, with a summit of about 2,917 meters. It is situated in northern Greece, near Litochoro, and forms the core of the Olympus National Park. In ancient myth, the mountain was considered the residence of the twelve Olympian gods. The area is known for its diverse flora, rugged terrain, and limestone geology, and it remains a popular destination for hiking, climbing, and nature study, featuring several established routes and refuges.

The ancient Lycian city of Olympos is located on the southwestern coast of what is now Turkey, near the village of Çıralı in Antalya Province. The site preserves ruins from the Hellenistic through the Roman and Byzantine periods, including a theater, a agora, baths, and tombs. The modern area around Olympos is a tourist locality with a nearby beach and access to Yanartaş, a rock outcrop famous for natural gas flames that have burned intermittently for millennia.

In mythology, Olympus is the fabled home of the gods and a symbol of divine authority in ancient Greek culture. In contemporary usage, Olympos can refer to places named after the mythic mountain or to the myth itself, reflecting its enduring cultural significance.