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Mount Olympus (; also transliterated
Transliteration

Transliteration is the practice of transcribing a word or text written in one writing system into another writing system or system of rules for such practice....
 as Ólympos, and on Greek maps, Óros Ólimbos) is the highest mountain
Mountain

A mountain is a landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill....
 in Greece
Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
 at 2,919 metre
Metre

The metre or meter is a Unit of measurement of length. It is the SI base unit of length in the metric system and in the International System of Units , used around the world for general and scientific purposes....
s high (9,577 feet). Since its base is located at sea level, it is one of the highest mountains in Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
 in terms of topographic prominence
Topographic prominence

In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height or shoulder drop or prime factor , is a concept used in the categorization of hills and mountains, also known as peaks....
, the relative altitude from base to top. It is situated at , in mainland Greece. It is located in Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)

Macedonia is a geographical and historical Regions of Greece in Southeastern Europe Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greece region....
, about 100 km away from Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki , Thessalonica, or Salonica is the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country in Greece and the capital of Macedonia , the nation's largest Regions of Greece....
, Greece's second largest city.

Mount Olympus is noted for its very rich flora with several endemic
Endemic (ecology)

Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a particular geographic location, such as a specific island, Habitat type, nation, or other defined zone....
 species.






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Mount Olympus (; also transliterated
Transliteration

Transliteration is the practice of transcribing a word or text written in one writing system into another writing system or system of rules for such practice....
 as Ólympos, and on Greek maps, Óros Ólimbos) is the highest mountain
Mountain

A mountain is a landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill....
 in Greece
Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
 at 2,919 metre
Metre

The metre or meter is a Unit of measurement of length. It is the SI base unit of length in the metric system and in the International System of Units , used around the world for general and scientific purposes....
s high (9,577 feet). Since its base is located at sea level, it is one of the highest mountains in Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
 in terms of topographic prominence
Topographic prominence

In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height or shoulder drop or prime factor , is a concept used in the categorization of hills and mountains, also known as peaks....
, the relative altitude from base to top. It is situated at , in mainland Greece. It is located in Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)

Macedonia is a geographical and historical Regions of Greece in Southeastern Europe Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greece region....
, about 100 km away from Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki , Thessalonica, or Salonica is the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country in Greece and the capital of Macedonia , the nation's largest Regions of Greece....
, Greece's second largest city.

Mount Olympus is noted for its very rich flora with several endemic
Endemic (ecology)

Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a particular geographic location, such as a specific island, Habitat type, nation, or other defined zone....
 species. The highest peak on Mount Olympus is Mitikas at 2,919 metre
Metre

The metre or meter is a Unit of measurement of length. It is the SI base unit of length in the metric system and in the International System of Units , used around the world for general and scientific purposes....
s high (9,577 feet), which in Greek means "nose" (an alternative transliterated spelling of this name is "Mytikas"). Mitikas is the highest peak in Greece
Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
, the second highest being Skolio (2912 m).

In Greek mythology
Greek mythology

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the Ancient Greece concerning their List of Greek mythological figures#Immortals and Greek hero cult, Cosmology#Metaphysical cosmology, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices....
 the mountain was regarded as the "home of the gods", specifically of the Dodekatheon
Twelve Olympians

The Twelve Olympians or younger gods, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal Greek Godss of the Greek pantheon , residing atop Mount Olympus, having supplanted the Titan or older gods in the greek mythogical narrative....
, the twelve principal gods of the ancient Hellenistic world. Any climb to Mount Olympus starts from the town of Litochoro
Litochoro

Litochoro is a town and municipality located in the southern part of the prefecture of Pieria at the base of Mount Olympus. The town is about 90 km distant from Thessaloniki, on the western shore of the Thermaic Gulf....
, 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
Phrygia

In antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. The Phrygians initially lived in the Southern Balkans; according to Herodotus, under the name of Bryges, changing it to Phruges after their final migration to Anatolia, via the Hellespont....
 and also currently one
Mount Olympus (Cyprus)

Olympus is the highest point of the Troodos Mountains in Cyprus. A series of long range radars are situated on it. During the winter it turns into a small scale ski area with four lifts....
 in Cyprus
Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is an island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, west of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, south of Turkey and north of Egypt....
, one
Mount Olympus (Utah)

Mount Olympus in the U.S. state of Utah, is one of the most prominent and recognizable mountains viewable from practically every location in the Salt Lake Valley....
 in Utah
Utah

The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....
, one
Mount Olympus (Washington)

Mount Olympus is the tallest and most prominent mountain in the Olympic Mountains range of Western Washington. Located on the Olympic Peninsula, it is the central feature of Olympic National Park....
 in Washington
Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
, one in San Francisco, CA, one on Mars
Olympus Mons

Olympus Mons is the tallest known volcano and mountain in the Solar System. It is located on the planet Mars at approximately 18?N 133?W / 18, -133....
, and many others.

See also

  • List of Greek mythological figures
    List of Greek mythological figures

    A listing of Greek mythology figures. See also family tree of the Greek gods and the list of Greek mythological creatures. For a list of the deities of many cultures , see list of deities....
  • List of tallest mountains by country
  • Geography of Greece
    Geography of Greece

    The country of Greece is located in southern Europe, on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula peninsula. Greece is surrounded on the north by Bulgaria, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania; to the west by the Ionian Sea Sea; to the south by the Mediterranean Sea and to the east by the Aegean Sea and Turkey....
  • Mount Meru (mythology)
    Mount Meru (Mythology)

    Mount Meru is a sacred mountain in Hinduism, Buddhist cosmology, and Jainism mythology, and is considered to be the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes....
  • Olympus Mons
    Olympus Mons

    Olympus Mons is the tallest known volcano and mountain in the Solar System. It is located on the planet Mars at approximately 18?N 133?W / 18, -133....
    , Mars - tallest known volcano and mountain in our solar system
  • Heaven
    Heaven

    Heaven may refer to the physical heavens, the atmosphere or the seemingly endless expanse of the universe beyond. This is the traditional literal meaning of the term in English, however since at least AD 1000, it is typically also used to refer to an afterlife plane of existence in various religions and spirituality philosophy, often descri...


The Mount Olympus and the national Park around it was recently selected as main motif for a high value euro collectors' coins; the €10 Greek National Park Olympus commemorative coin
Euro gold and silver commemorative coins (Greece)

Euro gold and silver commemorative coins are special euro coins Mint and issued by member states of the Eurozone, mainly in gold and silver, although other precious metals are also used in rare occasions....
, minted in 2005. On the reverse, the War of the Titans on Mount Olympus is portrayed along with flowering branches on the lower part of the coin. Above the scene is written, in Greek, 'National Park Olympus', while on the bottom of the coin, close to the edge, is the issuing year.

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