Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Athens, Athens

Standing: Must see · Heritage site
Rank: Rank 79 of 4,207

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

About Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Athens

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a war memorial in Syntagma Square, Athens, in front of the Old Royal Palace, which now houses the Parliament. It is a cenotaph dedicated to the Greek soldiers killed in war. The Army Ministry approved the design by architect Emmanuel Lazaridis on 9 October 1926; the sculpture was made between 1930 and 1932 by Fokion Rok, and the tomb was unveiled on 25 March 1932. It is guarded by the Evzones of the Presidential Guard.

Checked 2026-11-10 · Source

What's inside

The memorial is a large Π-shaped limestone retaining wall with the sculpture at its centre. The relief shows the naked figure of a dead warrior lying on the ground, holding a circular shield in his left hand and wearing an Ancient Greek-style helmet. To the left and right of the figure are phrases from the works of Thucydides, and the names of battles in which many Greeks died in recent history are carved into the limestone walls around the sculpture.

Checked 2026-11-10 · Source

Season and crowds

The memorial stands in the open in Syntagma Square. The guard changes every hour on the hour, when two incoming and two outgoing sentries swap places under a supervising corporal. The Grand Change takes place at 11 am on Sunday mornings: the whole Guard, with its officers and a military band, marches from the Guard Barracks to the Tomb for the change and back. It is a popular Sunday morning spectacle for Athenians and visitors alike.

Checked 2026-11-10 · Source

What to watch out for

The Evzones on duty are required to stay totally still at all times. Because of this, an Evzone in normal fatigues and police surveillance are posted at the memorial to ensure that no one approaches or harasses the guards while they are on duty, so keep a respectful distance from the sentries and their guardhouses when watching or taking photos.

Checked 2026-11-10 · Source

Place details and sources

Wheelchair access: Not available OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Type of place: Attraction OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Established: 1932 Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Heritage designation: archaeological site in Greece Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Memorial type: War memorial OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Architect: Emmanouil Lazaridis Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Creator: Fokion Rok Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Wikipedia article: Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Athens) Wikipedia · Checked 2026-09-09