Syntagma Square is the central square of Athens. The Square is named after the Constitution that the first King of Greece Otto was obliged to grant, after a popular and military uprising on 3 September 1843. It is located in front of the 19th century Old Royal Palace, housing the Greek Parliament since 1934. Syntagma Square is the most important square of modern Athens from both a historical and social point of view, at the epicentre of commercial activity and Greek politics. The name Syntagma alone also refers to the neighbourhood surrounding the square.
In front of the Old Royal Palace is the war memorial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is a cenotaph dedicated to the Greek soldiers killed during war. It was sculpted between 1930-32 by sculptor Fokion Rok. The tomb is guarded by the Evzones. The Tomb is in the French urban and classical tradition, combined with the modern spirit of Art Deco and with symbolic references to Ancient Greece. The main issue was the integration of the Tomb with Syntagma Square and with the neoclassical Palace and the contribution to the redevelopment of the square.
