General Georgios Karaiskakis

Located on Irodou Attikou Str., between the Zappeion and the National Garden, the brass equestrian statue of Georgios Karaiskakis is the work of Michael Tombros and dates back to 1966. It is dedicated to the important General of the Greek War of Independence, who went down in history for his great strategic intelligence, for his contribution to the consolidation of the armed struggle in Central Greece and for his unfortunate and unexpected death on the eve of the Battle of Analatos. The story of the statue begins when Tombros won a commissioning competition held in 1963. This was followed by the statue’s completion in a workshop in Florence and its subsequent transfer to Greek territory. The sculpture was accompanied by a high granite pedestal, which was made in Milan. It was unveiled in 1968. It is an equestrian statue of academic craftsmanship, four metres high, which depicts the chieftain from Roumeli in the heat of battle, dressed in the typical costume of his time, holding the reins of his horse, which is raised on his hind legs. The pedestal is engraved with the name and the year of death of Karaiskakis, the relevant dedication of Tombros with a commemoration of the public fundraiser held for the completion of the monument, as well as the last words of the fighter, as preserved by Ioannis Makriyannis “I am dying now but you should stay together to keep the country alive”.