Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- Address:Syntagma Square, Athens
- Hours:Open 24 hours a day
- Admission:Free
8:45 PM Wednesday, May 23
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Athens' Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Mnēmeíon Agnōstou Stratiōtou) commemorates all those Greek soldiers who died in service of their country over its long history. Among its inscriptions are quotes from Pericles Funeral Oration as written by Thucydides in his History of the Peloponnesian War : 'and one bed is carried empty / made for the unknown ones.' During major holidays, politicians and officials lay wreaths at the tomb.
The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day by the Presidential Guard (the Evzones). These are the hand-picked strongest men of the army - also the most handsome! Their traditional uniform features a skirt, stockings and pom-poms on their shoes, all of which makes the hourly Changing of the Guard ceremony even more worth seeing. On Sundays at 11am they stage an impressive full ceremony with formal uniform and an army band.
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The tomb is massive and has a beautiful bas-relief of a deceased warrior lying on a bed.We observed the changing of the guard on September 29, 2011. It was an awe-inspiring occurrence. The photo does not do justice to the uniforms or march-step used. They raise each foot, extend it upwards at a 45 degree angle, with the opposing arm at the same angle, and then step forward. There are videoclips on YouTube that show it. Definitely a must-see if in Athens!
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The Tomb of the Unknown Solider is located in Syntagma Square, near Parliament House. Nearest metro is Syntagma and there are also buses hubbing around the square.
