Visitors to the Unesco World heritage Site of Ancient Olympia this summer will have a new structure to marvel at following the restoration of part of a monument built in 270 B.C.

The monument consisted of two columns and, according to an inscription on the base, was constructed by the admiral Callicrates in honor of the then ruler of Egypt, Ptolemy II Philadelphus and his second wife (who was also his sister) Arsinoe II. Ptolemy II ruled Alexandria at a time when the Ptolemaic dynasty was close to the height of its powers.

Over the centuries, earthquakes and other destructive forces had left the votive monument in ruins, but now the northern column has been restored to its full height, allowing visitors a better understanding of how the site looked in its original form.

The project took a full 8 years to complete having been begun in 2009 and was overseen by the recently deceased architect Klaus Hermann. Stonemasons Gerrit Höfig and Alexandros Papalambros undertook the highly technical task of restoring the column to its former grandeur.

The work was funded by the the Regula Pestalozzi Foundation and was carried out with the support of the company Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG and in collaboration with the Athens branch of the German Archaeological Institute and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilias.

The re-erection of the column comes following partial restorations of the iconic circular Philippeion and the Temple of Zeus. Such restorations help visitors to the site appreciate the structures in three dimensions, giving them a better sense of the awe these once inspired in ancient visitors.