Parliament of Greeks

 

 

 

It overlooks Syntagma Square and was originally built as a palace for King Otto, the first King of Greece and Queen Amalia. Its construction took six years, from 1836 - 1842. The second King of Greece, King Georgios, also lived in this palace. But during his reign two serious fires destroyed the building to the extend that it was judged unfit for royal occupation. It was 1924 that the government decided to house the Greek Parliament in the building. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in the front of the building, was built in 1929 - 1930. This monument where Greek officials and visiting dignitaries lay wreaths on major holidays, is guarded day and night by a pair of elite soldiers called Evzones.

 

Tsolias.jpg (34370 bytes)

 

The monument of "The unknown soldier" located in Sintagma sq. ,by the Greek Parliament building. The guards, dressed in the traditional uniform of "Tsolias" present an interesting sight and have been a part of millions of tourists photograph collections.