PARIS, May 8. /TASS/. The famous French three-masted ship, the Belem, carrying the flame of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games has called at the port of Marseilles.

The ship arrived at the city’s old port after a parade of yachts and boats and was welcomed by fireworks to the sounds of Marseillaise.

The ceremony was broadcast on the Elysee Palace’s account on X.

The ship sailed off from the Greek port of Piraeus on April 27.

The ceremonial lighting of the Olympic flame for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris took place in Ancient Olympia on April 16. That day, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach, President of the Greek National Olympic Committee Spyros Capralos and other officials were in attendance.

The ritual of lighting the Olympic flame dates back to the ancient Olympic Games in Greece. It is a reminder of the legend of titan Prometheus, who stole fire from the Gods and gave it to human beings as a gift. The modern tradition was revived in 1928, at the Amsterdam Olympics, when the Olympic flame was for the first time lit at the main stadium. And in 1936, before the Olympic Games in Berlin, a torch relay was held for the first time in modern history.

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be hosted by the French capital of Paris between July 26 and August 11.