Last updated on December 20, 2023.

The Syntagma neighborhood is the area surrounding Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece. In addition to the square, it contains a few minor points of interest.

 

Syntagma Square

The natural place to start exploring the area is Syntagma Square (Πλατεία Συντάγματος), which is the most important square in modern Athens. It’s the national center of government and commerce as well as a major transportation hub.

Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece
Syntagma Square
Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece
Syntagma Square

 

History of Syntagma Square

Syntagma Square was built between 1836 and 1843. It was originally named Palace Square after the Old Royal Palace (see below) built on its east side for King Otto.

Syntagma Square
Syntagma Square

On September 3, 1843, a popular and military uprising led by Dimitrios Kallergis (1803-1867) took place in the square, forcing King Otto to grant the first Constitution of Greece. The square was then renamed Syntagma Square, meaning Constitution Square.

Syntagma Square at night, Athens, Greece
Syntagma Square at night

Today, Syntagma Square hosts numerous events and festivals throughout the year. It’s also a popular place for both celebrations and protests, and a busy transportation hub.

Syntagma Square at night, Athens, Greece
Syntagma Square at night

 

Hellenic Parliament

The focal point of the square is the Hellenic Parliament building, which was formerly the Old Royal Palace. It was built between 1836 and 1843 as the official residence of Greek monarchs.

Hellenic Parliament on Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece
Hellenic Parliament

The Old Royal Palace was designed by German architect Friedrich von Gärtner (1791-1847) and built with funds donated by King Otto’s father, King Ludwig I of Bavaria (1786-1868). The original proposed location was at Omonoia Square, but Syntagma Square was deemed more suitable.

Hellenic Parliament

The building was severely damaged by fire in 1909, and the royal family moved into the Crown Prince’s Palace (now the Presidential Mansion) a block away. It underwent a long renovation, and in 1924, when the monarchy was abolished, it became property of the government. The building was then used as government offices, a refugee shelter for Greek refugees from Asia Minor in the aftermath of the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922, a museum, and other purposes.

Hellenic Parliament
Hellenic Parliament

In 1929, the government decided to permanently move Parliament from the Old Parliament House (now the National Historical Museum) into the Old Royal Palace. It went through another long renovation and the first session was held on August 2, 1934. Although the monarchy was later restored in 1935, the building has housed the Parliament ever since.

 

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

In front of Parliament is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is covered in another entry. The tomb is a popular tourist attraction where the Changing of the Guard can be witnessed hourly.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens, Greece
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

 

Hotels on Syntagma Square

Syntagma Square contains some of the finest hotels in Athens, including the Grand Bretagne and the King George. There are also shops, banks, and fast food restaurants.

King George (left) and Grand Bretagne (right) at Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece
King George (left) and Grand Bretagne (right)

 

Athenian Fortification

At the northeast corner of the square, is a small archaeological site. It contains part of the ancient Athenian fortification.

Athenian fortification

Syntagma Metro Archaeology Exhibit

Finally, heading underground to the Syntagma metro station, the busiest in the entire Athens transportation network, you’ll find a small archaeology exhibit.

Syntagma metro station
Syntagma metro station
Archaeology exhibit

The exhibit highlights items discovered during the construction of the metro line station. They come from the Amalias Shaft near the Zappeion and the National Garden Shaft. A late Roman period bath complex was unearthed near the Amalias Shaft as well as Byzantine storage jars and other pottery.

Beehive box, 1st century BC - 1st century AD
Beehive box, 1st century BC – 1st century AD
lonic capital, 4th century BC
lonic capital, 4th century BC

In the National Garden Shaft, archaeologists found the remains of the so-called Peisistratid aqueduct. They also found a Roman period building and 35 tombs. Some artifacts were transferred to the Byzantine Museum while others are on display in the metro station.

Terracotta pipes of the Peisistratid aqueduct, 1st half of the 5th century BC; Different types of terracotta water pipes, Roman period
Terracotta pipes of the Peisistratid aqueduct, 1st half of the 5th century BC; Different types of terracotta water pipes, Roman period
Fragment of a mosaic floor, late 4th - early 5th century
Fragment of a mosaic floor, late 4th – early 5th century
Roman and Hellenistic gravestones
Roman and Hellenistic gravestones

 

Ermou Street

Heading to the rest of the area, first, running west of Syntagma Square is Ermou Street. It makes up one of the most popular shopping areas of the city. About the first 700 meters of the street to Aiolou Street is pedestrianized. It runs through to Monastiraki Square and all the way to the Kerameikos archaeological site.

Ermou Street
Ermou Street in Syntagma, Athens, Greece
Ermou Street

Ermou Street is one of the most expensive shopping streets in Europe. It was laid out in 1833 by Greek architect Stamatios Kleanthis (1802-1862) and his German partner Eduard Schaubert (1804-1860). The section starting at Syntagma Square was pedestrianized in 1997.

Ermou Street in Syntagma, Athens, Greece
Ermou Street
Ermou Street
Ermou Street

 

Agia Dymani

A couple blocks west of Syntagma Square down Mitropoleos Street is Agia Dynami. This tiny 16th century church was erected atop the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Hercules. It was restored in 1912 and again in the 1950s.

Agia Dynami

In the 1950s, the Greek government attempted to purchase the church and the land around it from the Greek Orthodox Church to build a new headquarters for the Ministry of Education, but the Church refused. Instead, they leased the land to the government and the building was literally built right over the church. The building was converted to the Electra Metropolis Hotel in 2016.

Agia Dynami

Under the floor of the church is a tunnel measuring 15 meters long. Legend has it that Orthodox priests hid church treasures and documents in the tunnel during the Ottoman occupation. However, those items were eventually destroyed. The tunnel also connects to a large cave complex that some say reaches the Acropolis and even the Kaisariani Monastery to the east.

Agia Dynami

 

Church of the Holy Trinity

Hidden across the street to the west of the National Garden is the Church of the Holy Trinity, which was once the largest church in Athens. The church was built by the Byzantines sometime between 1031 and 1044 as part of Panagia Soteira Lykodimou, a female monastery.

Church of the Holy Trinity in Syntagma, Athens, Greece
Church of the Holy Trinity

When Athens came under the control of the Franks in 1204, it was occupied by Venetian monks who stayed until 1669. It then came back under the control of the Greek Orthodox as a male monastery. The entire monastery except for the church was torn down in 1778 by Ottoman governor Hacı Ali Haseki (d. 1795).

Church of the Holy Trinity
Church of the Holy Trinity

The Church of the Holy Trinity was heavily damaged by an Ottoman cannonball in 1827 during the Siege of the Acropolis and left to fall into ruin. Russian Tsar Nicholas I (1796-1855) purchased the building in 1847 for the Russian Orthodox community in Athens, provided that it be restored to its original state. Restoration was carried out between 1850 and 1855, and the Russians continue to use it to this day.

Window of the Church of the Holy Trinity
Window

The church was built on a cross-in-square plan and is topped with a dome. Frescoes on the interior were completed in the 19th century under German artist Ludwig Thiersch (1825-1909) with the assistance of Greek painters Nikiforos Lytras (1832-1904) and Spyridon Hatzigiannopoulos. Icons brought by refugees of the October Revolution in 1917 are also inside.

Bell tower of the Church of the Holy Trinity
Bell tower
Bell tower of the Church of the Holy Trinity
Bell tower

 

Saint Paul’s Anglican Church

Nearby is Saint Paul’s Anglican Church. It opened on Palm Sunday in 1843 as one of the very first foreign churches in Athens. The church has the oldest pipe organ in Greece and often hosts cultural events. At the time of its consecration, it was on the outskirts of the city.

Saint Paul's Anglican Church in Syntagma, Athens, Greece
Saint Paul’s Anglican Church

 

Jewish Museum of Greece

About a block away from Saint Paul’s is the Jewish Museum of Greece. It was established in 1977 and originally located in a building next to the city’s synagogue. Its collection expanded and it moved to another building in 1984, and to its current location in 1997. I have yet to visit.

Jewish Museum of Greece

 

Presidential Palace

Finally, just east of the National Garden is the Presidential Mansion. It’s the official residence of the President of Greece. The mansion was built as the Crown Prince’s Palace between 1891 and 1897 for Constantine I (1868-1923) when he was heir to the throne. It was designed by German architect Ernst Ziller (1837-1923).

Presidential Mansion

After a fire gutted the Old Royal Palace (now Hellenic Parliament), the royal family moved into the Crown Prince’s Palace and lived there until the monarchy was abolished in 1924. It was used as the Presidential Mansion from 1924 to 1935 until the monarchy was restored, and again as the royal family’s residence from 1935 to 1973. Since 1974, it returned to use as the Presidential Mansion. All official state functions are held there.

The Presidential Mansion is guarded by the Evzones, who also conduct the Changing of the Guard every hour on the hour, 24 hours a day. This Changing of the Guard ceremony is a good alternative to the one in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Syntagma Square. It’s much less crowded.

Changing of the Guard in front of the Presidential Mansion in Syntagma, Athens, Greece
Changing of the Guard
Changing of the Guard in front of the Presidential Mansion in Syntagma, Athens, Greece
Changing of the Guard

 

Map of Syntagma

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Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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