On April 16, the Olympic flame was lit in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. The torch has been a symbol of peace and unity between world nations since the first documented Olympic Games in 776 BC.

A special ceremony was held in the ruins of a temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Hera, and actress Mary Mina played the role of a high priestess who asked the God Apollo to light the torch. The ceremony also included a choreographed dance inspired by ancient times.

Originally, it was planned for the torch to be lit using the sun’s rays, but due to weather, a pre-lit flame was used.

The torch relay will travel 3,100 miles to Athens, then across France and will end in Paris on July 26. There will be around 10,000 torchbearers with the first being Greek Olympic gold medalist rower Stefanos Ntouskos.