Mount Olympus (Mountain) 

Mount Olympus (Olimpos)

Mount Olympus: View from Litochoro
Mount Olympus (Olimpos) (Greece)
Mount Olympus (Olimpos)
Mount Olympus (Olimpos)
Location of Mount Olympus in Greece
Elevation 2,919 metres (9,577 ft)
Location  Greece
Range Olympus
Prominence 2,355 metres (7,726 ft)
Coordinates 40°5′00″N 22°21′00″E / 40.083333, 22.35Coordinates: 40°5′00″N 22°21′00″E / 40.083333, 22.35
Easiest route Hike
Listing Country high point
Ultra

Mount Olympus (Greek: Όλυμπος; also transliterated as Ólympos, and on Greek maps, Óros Ólimbos) is the highest mountain in Greece at 2,919 metres high (9,570 feet).1 Since its base is located at sea level, it is one of the highest mountains in Europe in terms of topographic prominence, the relative altitude from base to top. It is situated at 40°05′N 22°21′E / 40.083, 22.35, in mainland Greece. It is located in Macedonia, about 100 km away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city.

Mytikas Summit.

Mount Olympus is noted for its very rich flora with several endemic species. The highest peak on Mount Olympus is Mitikas at 2,919 metres high (9,570 feet), which in Greek means "nose" (an alternative transliterated spelling of this name is "Mytikas"). Mitikas is the highest peak in Greece, the second highest being Skolio (2912 m).

In Greek mythology the mountain was regarded as the "home of the gods", specifically of the Dodekatheon, the twelve principal gods of the ancient Hellenistic world.2 Any climb to Mount Olympus starts from the town of Litochoro, which took the name City of Gods because of its location on the roots of the mountain.

Mount Olympus is a popular mountain name. Apart from the Greek Olympus, there was a mountain of the same name in ancient Phrygia and also currently one in Cyprus, one in Utah, one in Washington, one in San Francisco, CA, one on Mars, and many others.

See also

On the way to Mytikas.

References

  1. ^ SummitPost - Olymbos (Olympus) - Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering
  2. ^ Wilson, Nigel (2005-10-31). Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece. Abingdon, England: Routledge, p 516. 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Mount Olympus

External links