Olympia was a sacred precinct famous for the Temples of Zeus and his wife Hera. As a sacred area it was governed by nearby cities, or committees from those cities. The most sacred area—that contained the temples—was called the “Altis.” This was surrounded by auxiliary buildings that housed priests, administrative officials, and other structures, such as the Gymnasium, Palaestra, the Stadium, the Bouleuterion, Prytaneion, and lodgings for official guests at the quadrennial festivities.