Article Syntagma Square

The square was created in the 19th century, shortly after the liberation of Greece and the establishment of Athens as the capital in 1834. It was originally called Palace Square, as it dominated the newly built Royal Palace (today's Parli­ament).

The square acquired its current name in September 1843, when the people and military garrison gathered here to force the adoption of a constitution (Syntagma in Greek) by King Otto I. This act laid the foundations of the modern Greek state, and the square has since become a symbolic place for democracy and civil protest.

The most striking feature of the square is the majestic building of the Hellenic Parliament. This neoclassical structure from 1836–1842 originally served as the Royal Palace for the first King of Greece, Otto. The building has been the seat of the Hellenic Parliament since 1934.

In front of the main entrance to the Parliament is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – Greece's most important war memorial.

The monument was built in the 1930s to commemorate the fallen Greek soldiers. It is an impressive work of art, with a statue of a dead warrior and carved names of battles from Greek history. Its guard maintains constant vigil, symbolizing eternal memory and gratitude.

The biggest attraction and a must-see for every visitor is watching the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is made up of an elite unit of the Greek army known as the Evzoni.

The movements of the Evzones during the rotation are slow, ritualistic and reminiscent of dance steps, which gives them a unique and hypnotic character.

The Evzoni are famous for their unique and picturesque traditional costume, which refers to the uniforms of the Greek independence fighters. Skirts with 400 pleats, symbolizing 400 years of Ottoman rule. Special leather boots with a large black pompom. Each boot weighs over 1.5 kg and is studded with nails for a specific sound when marching. Radical red hat with a long black tassel.

Every hour on the hour, a short and formal changing of the guard takes place. The main ceremony, in which the entire Evzone platoon and military band participate, takes place on Sundays at 11 am: it is a grand and long event.

The names of the 57 victims of the tragic collision of two trains on February 28, 2023 are written on the sidewalk in front of the parliament.

Today, Syntagma Square is a bustling and modern center. It serves as the main interchange for the Athens metro, trams and buses. The metro station is unique in that it houses archaeological finds that were discovered during its construction, making it a small museum. The area around the square is full of banks, offices, cafes and shops.