The Syntagma Square was the centre of the city planning executed by the newly established Modern Greek government dominated by the Germans. Syntagma means the "Constitution" in modern Greek, and the square was so named, as the Constitution of the Kingdom of Greece was promulgated here in 1844.
In the photo above is the Syntagma Square and the Ermou Street looked over from in front of the Parliament Building.
And below is the Parliament Building. It was built as the royal palace of the Greek kingdom.
The Memorial to the Unknown-Solider. The shift change ceremony of the guards with ethnic costume is one of the major attractions for tourists.
The photo above was taken in 2002 and the one left in 2008. On closer look, you see the uniforms of soldiers are different. Were the uniform changed? It should not be the seasonal difference as both photos were taken in the summer. The left photo looks yellowish because it was shot in the late afternoon, at 6 o'clock. It was Sunday, and there was the guard change ceremony right after.
These soldiers in traditional uniform are called 'evzones' (well-belted) and usually chosen from the young Greek men in military service. Only very tall, good looking men can have this duty.
This photo right was shot in March 2009. Again the costume was different.
Facing Syntagma Square, there are three luxury hotels.
From the left, Athens Plaza, King George II, and Grande Bretagne (Megali Vretannia). The last one is particularly prestigeous. They are very popular among the tourists because of the proximity to major touristic and shopping centres, accessibility to public transports, and safety of the area (being in front of the Parliament building, security is always tight in and around the square).
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