The Zappeion Exhibition Hall, or the Zappeion as it is simply known, is a large, palatial building next to the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of the city. Designed by the famous Danish architect Theophil Freiherr von Hansen in 1878, the Zappeion Megaron is named after Evangelos Zappas, who played a major role in starting the Zappian Olympic Games, which laid the path for the modern Olympic Games. It has become a landmark in the Greek capital and has witnessed the history of Athens for the past 130 years. A major scene for some of the most significant moments in the country’s history, it is used for various events, exhibitions and ceremonies.