Athens’ marble stadium gets first cleaning in over a century

Athens' Panathenaic Stadium, made entirely of white marble and host of the first modern Olympics in 1896, is undergoing its first systematic cleaning in more than a century. Workers are using controlled low-pressure water and steam to remove dirt, organic material, chewing-gum stains and soft-drink stains from the 47 steep tiers. The stadium is the ceremonial starting point for the Olympic flame, including for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

The delicate process uses clean water at low pressure, with machines vacuuming runoff, to avoid damaging the marble also used on the Acropolis. Dimitris Selemis, senior conservator, said the goal is to remove dirt and organic layers, not to make everything white. The project also includes a new track, upgraded lighting and improved facilities, with work continuing through 2026.

Cleaning is focused on the curved end ahead of the Sept. 10 torch-passing ceremony for the Dakar Youth Olympics, the first Olympic competition in Africa, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13 in Senegal. Isidoros Kouvelos, president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, said the stadium will show all its brilliance and remain the foremost monument for the Olympic Movement.