Where is the Olympic flame lit before each Games?

Where is the Olympic flame lit before each Games? The Olympic flame is lit in Olympia, Greece, before each Games.

The ceremony takes place at the ancient site of Olympia, where the original Olympic festivals were held in honor of Zeus. An actor portraying an ancient Greek priestess traditionally uses a parabolic mirror to focus the Sun's rays and ignite the flame near the Temple of Hera. If weather prevents the ceremony from working, organizers can use a backup flame lit during a rehearsal.

After the lighting, the flame begins a torch relay through Greece before being handed to representatives of the host nation's Olympic committee. It eventually travels to the host city, where the final torchbearer lights the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony. The flame symbolizes continuity between the ancient and modern Olympic traditions.

A common mistake is answering Athens. Athens is the modern capital and hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, but the flame-lighting ceremony occurs at Olympia in the western Peloponnese. The ancient Games themselves were held at Olympia from the eighth century BCE until the fourth century CE.