Athens’ historic Panathenaic Stadium undergoes first cleaning in over a century

Athens' Panathenaic Stadium, known as 'Kallimarmaro' (beautiful marble) for its all-marble construction, is undergoing a delicate restoration and cleaning process. The stadium, rebuilt for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, is being cleaned using low-pressure water and steam to remove accumulated dirt, organic material, and decades-old stains. Dimitris Selemis, a senior conservator at the site, stated that the goal is not to make everything white, but to remove surface deposits to better understand the monument.

The project, privately funded by a shipping company and overseen by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, also includes track upgrades and improved lighting. Conservators noted that chewing gum, soft-drink stains, and high heels have contributed to the degradation of the historic marble over the years. The stadium, built into a natural ravine, has a history dating back to ancient Greek athletic contests and Roman spectacles.

The work is currently focused on the stadium's curved end in time for the torch-passing ceremony on September 10. This ceremony will precede the Dakar Youth Olympics in Senegal, which will mark the first Olympic competition hosted in Africa. Isidoros Kouvelos, president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, expressed pride in the monument, stating that the cleaning will restore its brilliance as a foremost monument for the Olympic movement.