Pláka (Greek: Πλάκα)
is the old historical neighborhood of Athens, clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis, and incorporating labyrinthine streets and neoclassical architecture.
Plaka is built on top of the residential areas of the ancient town of Athens.
It is known as the "Neighbourhood of the Gods" due to its proximity to the Acropolis and its many archaeological sites.
Two quotations by Thucydides, from Pericles' Funeral Oration, are inscribed on the retaining wall:
Μία κλίνη κενὴ φέρεται ἐστρωμένη τῶν ἀφανῶν ("... and one bed is carried empty, made for the unknown ones"), and
Ἀνδρῶν ἐπιφανῶν πᾶσα γῆ τάφος ("For eminent men, every place is (worthy) burial ground").
The inscriptions flank a central sculpture in low relief, depicting a dying hoplite. The monument is guarded round the clock by the Evzones of the Presidential Guard.
