Mount Olympus is one of the great treasures of Greece. It is a famous geographical site, as well as the subject of many stories and myths.
2 August marks the anniversary of the first time it was climbed successfully in 1913, and every year tens of thousands of people travel to the mountain to climb it.
Here are five facts you probably didn't know about Mount Olympus.
It boasts the highest point in Greece
Mount Olympus's Mytikas peak rises to 2,918 metres, or around 9,573 ft, and is the highest point in Greece.
It is also the second highest peak in the Balkans, and one of the highest across all of Europe.
'Mytikas' means 'nose' in Greek.
Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens 30 show all Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens 1/30 A house threatened by a huge blaze during a wildfire in Kineta AFP/Getty 2/30 A woman reacts as she tries to find her dog Reuters 3/30 A helicopter flies over a wildfire raging in the town of Rafina, near Athens REUTERS 4/30 An aerial view shows burnt houses following a wildfire in the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images 5/30 Firefighters, soldiers and local residents carry a hose as a wildfire burns in the town of Rafina REUTERS 6/30 A man walks on the beach where burned trees hug the coastline in Mati east of Athens AP 7/30 People bring supplies for residents rescued from the wildfire in the village of Nea Makri AP 8/30 Flames rise as a wildfire burns in the town of Rafina AFP/Getty Images 9/30 Firefighters carry a dead person AFP/Getty Images 10/30 Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras speaks to the media during his visit to the fire brigade's operational center in Athens EPA 11/30 An aerial view of a burnt urban area following fire in Kineta Hellenic Ministry of Defence/AFP/Getty 12/30 Reuters 13/30 Residents react as they look at their burned house EPA 14/30 Rescuers and volunteers push an inflatable boat as locals are evacuated REUTERS 15/30 An aerial view of an urban area burnt following fire in Mati Hellenic Ministry of Defence/AFP/Getty 16/30 AP 17/30 Asimina Psalti, 87, reacts as she sits outside her burned house in Mati east of Athens AP 18/30 A burnt forest following a wildfire in the village of Neos Voutzas AFP/Getty Images 19/30 People cover their faces from the smoke that fills the sky near Kineta AP 20/30 Smoke rise over an avenue during a forest fire in Neo Voutsa, a northeast suburb of Athens EPA 21/30 Melted metals from burned cars after a fire in Argyra Akti, Mati EPA 22/30 Firefighters look for missing persons REUTERS 23/30 Smoke fills the sky as members of the emergency services block a road near Kineta, west of Athens AP 24/30 Burnt cars at the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images 25/30 Cars are blocked at the closed National Road AFP/Getty Images 26/30 A woman sprays water outside her house that was damaged in the wildfires near the village of Neos Voutzas AP 27/30 Smoke from a wildfire burning outside Athens is seen over the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill REUTERS 28/30 An aerial view shows burnt houses following a wildfire in the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images 29/30 Flames are seen next to firefighting vehicle during a forest fire in Neo Voutsa EPA 30/30 People look inside a burnt car REUTERS 1/30 A house threatened by a huge blaze during a wildfire in Kineta AFP/Getty 2/30 A woman reacts as she tries to find her dog Reuters 3/30 A helicopter flies over a wildfire raging in the town of Rafina, near Athens REUTERS 4/30 An aerial view shows burnt houses following a wildfire in the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images 5/30 Firefighters, soldiers and local residents carry a hose as a wildfire burns in the town of Rafina REUTERS 6/30 A man walks on the beach where burned trees hug the coastline in Mati east of Athens AP 7/30 People bring supplies for residents rescued from the wildfire in the village of Nea Makri AP 8/30 Flames rise as a wildfire burns in the town of Rafina AFP/Getty Images 9/30 Firefighters carry a dead person AFP/Getty Images 10/30 Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras speaks to the media during his visit to the fire brigade's operational center in Athens EPA 11/30 An aerial view of a burnt urban area following fire in Kineta Hellenic Ministry of Defence/AFP/Getty 12/30 Reuters 13/30 Residents react as they look at their burned house EPA 14/30 Rescuers and volunteers push an inflatable boat as locals are evacuated REUTERS 15/30 An aerial view of an urban area burnt following fire in Mati Hellenic Ministry of Defence/AFP/Getty 16/30 AP 17/30 Asimina Psalti, 87, reacts as she sits outside her burned house in Mati east of Athens AP 18/30 A burnt forest following a wildfire in the village of Neos Voutzas AFP/Getty Images 19/30 People cover their faces from the smoke that fills the sky near Kineta AP 20/30 Smoke rise over an avenue during a forest fire in Neo Voutsa, a northeast suburb of Athens EPA 21/30 Melted metals from burned cars after a fire in Argyra Akti, Mati EPA 22/30 Firefighters look for missing persons REUTERS 23/30 Smoke fills the sky as members of the emergency services block a road near Kineta, west of Athens AP 24/30 Burnt cars at the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images 25/30 Cars are blocked at the closed National Road AFP/Getty Images 26/30 A woman sprays water outside her house that was damaged in the wildfires near the village of Neos Voutzas AP 27/30 Smoke from a wildfire burning outside Athens is seen over the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill REUTERS 28/30 An aerial view shows burnt houses following a wildfire in the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images 29/30 Flames are seen next to firefighting vehicle during a forest fire in Neo Voutsa EPA 30/30 People look inside a burnt car REUTERS
It was first climbed in 1913
The summit of Olympus was reached for the first time on 2 August 1913 by Swiss duo Frédéric Boissonnas and Daniel Baud-Bovy, who were assisted by a mountain guide called Christos Kakkalos.
Kakkalos remained the official guide of Olympus until his death in 1976.
It is estimated that around 10,000 people climb Olympus every year, with most of them only reaching as far as the Skolio summit.
It's a common feature of Greek mythology
Olympus was notable in Greek mythology as a home of the 12 Greek gods.
The nine Muses, daughters of the god Zeus, were traditionally placed in the region of Pieria, at the mount's northern foot.
Olympia was thought of by the Greeks as a metaphorical place as well as the physical mountain.
It is part of the Olympus National Park
The region was declared Greece's first national park in 1938.
The aim of this was ΄the preservation in perpetuity of the natural environment of the region, i.e. of wild flora, fauna and natural landscape, as well as its cultural and other values.'
In 1981, Olympus was proclaimed 'Biosphere Reserve' by UNESCO.
It has unique biodiversity
Olympus is known for its exceptional biodiversity, with 52 peaks and several deep gorges.
The entire Olympus area covers around 500 square kilometres, in a circular area with a circumference of 80km.
The area contains 32 species of mammals, 108 species of birds, many species of reptiles, amphibians and insects.
According to ancient Greek mythology, Mount Olympus is the home of the gods. Should mere mortals dare to climb so high? On this day In 1913, three courageous climbers answered “yes,” scaling this 9,573-foot summit sculpted with deep ravines and abrupt upgrades. Swiss photographer Frédéric Boissonnas, his friend Daniel Baud-Bovy, and Christos Kakkalos, a Greek hunter who served as their guide, set off in treacherous weather.
Kakkalos knew the mountain so well that he scaled its sharp inclines barefoot. The Swiss had some experience in mountaineering, but Boissonnas had to lug heavy photographic equipment up the mountain. He and his friend, Baud-Bovy, were tied together with a rope, standard procedure for such expeditions.
During their climb, the summit where Greek gods were said to reside was wreathed with storm clouds, and the climbers mistook a lesser peak for the home of the gods. Thinking their ascent was done, the elated adventurers wrote cards describing their feat and put the notes in a bottle that they buried on a crest they christened Victory Top. When the mist cleared, they spied another, more impressive peak, called Mytikas.
With Kakkalos in the lead, the men continued upward, scrambling across the slippery gorge. Boissonnas later wrote that he was compelled by the fire of Prometheus, who stole fire from Athena and Hephaestus’ workshop on Mount Olympus, gifting it to humans to help them in their labors.
Today’s Doodle celebrates their accomplishment and the fire that inspired them.
The Google Doodle for Thursday, August 2, 2018 celebrates Mount Olympus and the three climbers who scaled its summit 105 years ago.
In 1913, Daniel Baud-Bovy and his photographer friend Frederic Boissonnas decided to ascend the 9,753-foot peak along with Greek hunter Christos Kakkalos, who knew the terrain exceptionally well.
On July 29, 1913, the trio began the ascent, reaching the Agios Dionysios monastery at 820m the same day. They then continued north and set up camp in Petrostrouga at nearly 2000m.
While the two Swiss men had some experience in mountaineering, Boissonnas had to carry the very heavy photographic equipment, so as a safety precaution, he and Baud-Dovy were tied together with rope.
In the summer of 1913, three men decided to scale the Greek mountain's highest peak, Mytikas
Meanwhile Kakkalos knew the terrain so well that he reportedly climbed its sharpest inclines barefoot. The weather turned, bringing with it severe fog. The climbers nevertheless persisted ascending a slender peak, which, thinking it was the highest peak of Mount Olympus, they named Victory Top.
However, once the fog cleared, the three climbers saw a more impressive peak before them, and without hesitation decided to scale it.
On August 2, 1913 at 10.25am, they climbed Mytikas—which means ‘nose’ in Greek—the highest peak on Mount Olympus at 2,918 metres or 9,573ft.
Boissonnas later wrote that during their final climb, he was fuelled by the fire of the Titan Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods and gifted it to humans.
Kakkalos later became an official guide for the mountain, last scaling the mountain in 1972, when he was 91-years-old.
Where is Mount Olympus?
Mount Olympus is a mountain in Greece that has the highest point in the country and the second highest peak in the Balkans, as well as one of the highest in Europe.
Today marks the 105th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Olympus, known as 'the home of the gods', in Greece. #Onthisday in 1913, two Swiss friends and a local guide reached the 9,573 foot summit. Mount Olympus in the Distance, Edward Lear, 1872. pic.twitter.com/msPLJDVSvl — Ashmolean Museum (@AshmoleanMuseum) August 2, 2018
The mountain actually has 52 peaks in total and is located on the border of Macedonia and Thessaly. Olympus covers roughly 500-square-kilometres and was declared a biosphere reserve by Unesco in 1981.
Around 10,000 people climb the mountain every year, although most only reach the Skolio summit at 2,912 metres.
Mount Olympus in Greek mythology
In Greek Mythology, Mount Olympus was home to the ancient powerful Olympian gods.
A total of 12 gods resided on Mount Olympus: the god of gods and the sky Zeus; his wife Hera the goddess of marriage; Poseidon, god of the sea; Demeter, the goddess of harvest and fertility; Athena, the goddess of wisdom, Apollo god of the sun; Artemis, goddess of hunting; Ares, the god of war; Hephaesteus, god of the forge; Hermes, messenger of the gods; Hestia, the goddess of hearth; and Dionysus the god of wine.
Thousands of people make the journey to Mount Olympus #onthisday each year to mark the anniversary of the first time it was successfully climbed in 1913. It's a real place, but this painting shows the Mount Olympus of Greek mythology. https://t.co/81uUC2XEE7
📷 @NorthamptonShoe pic.twitter.com/8uJvFGGHH0 — Art UK (@artukdotorg) August 2, 2018
What is a Google Doodle?
Mount Olympus and the first people to climb it have been honoured in the Google Doodle for August 2, 2018, on the 105th anniversary of the day they reached the mountain's highest peak, Mytikas.
It says: 'Today’s Doodle celebrates their accomplishment and the fire that inspired them.'
Google Doodles are small illustrations or animations that appear in the Google logo on the search engine's homepage.
The first time a Google Doodle was used was in 1998, when Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin visited the 1998 Burning Man Festival.
To commemorate their trip, the founders drew a stick-man standing behind the second ‘o’ in the Google logo.
Recent Google Doodles include Gerda Taro, Meena Kumari and Maria Rebecca Latigo de Hernandez.
GOOGLE is paying tribute to Mount Olympus and the three climbers who scaled its rocky peak on August 2, 1913.
The 9,573-foot mountain was believed to be the home of the gods in ancient Greece.
5 Google's latest doodle celebrates Mount Olympus
What happened in 1913?
In 1913, three climbers scaled the summit of the mountain sculpted with deep ravines and abrupt upgrades.
Swiss photographer Frédéric Boissonnas, his friend Daniel Baud-Bovy, and Christos Kakkalos, a Greek hunter who served as their guide, set off in treacherous weather.
Kakkalos knew the mountain so well that he scaled its sharp inclines barefoot.
The Swiss had some experience in mountaineering, but Boissonnas had to lug heavy photographic equipment up the mountain.
He and his friend, Baud-Bovy, were tied together with a rope, standard procedure for such expeditions.
During their climb, the summit where Greek gods were said to reside was wreathed with storm clouds, and the climbers mistook a lesser peak for the home of the gods.
Thinking their ascent was done, the elated adventurers wrote cards describing their feat and put the notes in a bottle that they buried on a crest they christened Victory Top.
Getty - Contributor 5 Mount Olympus was believed to be the home of the gods in ancient Greece
When the mist cleared, they spied another, more impressive peak, called Mytikas.
Realising their mistake, Boissonnas and Baud-Bovy barely paused to consider what they would do. When Kakkalos asked, “Shall we go up?” there was only one answer.
With Kakkalos in the lead, the men continued upward, scrambling across the slippery gorge.
Boissonnas later wrote that he was compelled by the fire of Prometheus, who stole fire from Athena and Hephaestus’ workshop on Mount Olympus, gifting it to humans to help them in their labours.
On August 2, 1913, they reached the summit of the mountain all three had hoped to conquer.
Getty - Contributor 5 The peak of Mount Olympus was first scaled in 1913
Where is Mount Olympus in Greece?
It's located in the north east of Greece in the region of Thessaly.
The mountain is set in a national park.
Olympus has many peaks and an almost circular shape.
The mountain has a circumference of 93 miles.
At the foot of Mount Olympus, the archaeological site and museum of Dion offer an exhibit on the mountain and the remains of major temples of Isis and other divinities.
What's the mythology behind it?
During the time of the writer and poet Homer, Mount Olympus was believed to be where the gods lived with Zeus as their ruler.
Olympus was the name of the home of the 12 Olympian gods of the ancient world, which was conceived as a lofty mountaintop.
LATEST GOOGLE DOODLES HISTORYMAKER Here's Gerda Taro's story and why she's being celebrated with a Google Doodle CIVIL RIGHTS PIONEER The lowdown on the campaigner Maria Rebecca Latigo de Hernandez CHESS GRANDMASTER Google Doodle is celebrating chess trailblazer Lyudmila Rudenko MUSICAL MAESTRO A Google Doodle is celebrating the majestic German conductor Kurt Masur BIG BANG Google Doodle celebrates Georges Lemaître - who was the Big Bang Theory father?
What is a Google Doodle?
In 1998, the search engine founders Larry and Sergey drew a stick figure behind the second 'o' of Google as a message to that they were out of office at the Burning Man festival and with that, Google Doodles were born.
The company decided that they should decorate the logo to mark cultural moments and it soon became clear that users really enjoyed the change to the Google homepage.
Google 5 Google celebrated the Autumn Equinox with a themed doodle
In that same year, a turkey was added to Thanksgiving and two pumpkins appeared as the 'o's for Halloween the following year.
Now, there is a full team of doodlers, illustrators, graphic designers, animators and classically trained artists who help create what you see on those days.
Among the Doodles published in past months were designs commemorating German scientist Robert Koch, Jan Ingenhousz (who discovered photosynthesis) and the 50th anniversary of kids coding languages being introduced.
And the search giant celebrated the 2017 Autumn Equinox, which marked the official ending of summer and the coming of autumn.
