The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located at the foot of the staircase leading to the Greek Parliament, is a must-visit place. This memorial, dedicated to those who fell on the battlefields, is located in the very center of Athens, on Constitution Square.
The names of all the countries Greece has fought with throughout its three-thousand-year history are carved on the marble monument. Every hour, the changing of the guard takes place here, and once you see it, it is impossible to forget. The Evzones, soldiers of an elite infantry unit, relieve one another with a special, highly unusual step; mandatory requirements for them include a height above 187 cm and physical attractiveness. They are dressed in a highly symbolic ceremonial uniform consisting of a white shirt with flared sleeves, a wool pleated skirt, a red cap with a thick tassel hanging down to the waist, and white gaiters with small black tassels.
The tsarouhi shoes with large black pom-poms look amusing, but in fact they are a real weapon: each of them weighs several kilograms, is studded with 60 steel nails, and most importantly, is equipped with a knife hidden in the infamous pom-pom. During war, a soldier can deliver a fatal blow to an enemy with a single swing of his leg in this funny-looking shoe, for example by slashing the femoral artery.
Every Sunday at 11:00, the changing of the guard takes place on a particularly grand scale: the entire guards regiment takes part in it — more than a hundred people.
