Garden of the Heroes

Just beyond the Gate of Exodus is the Garden of the Heroes , translated incorrectly as 'Heroes' Tombs' on the road sign. This memorial garden was established on the orders of the first governor of Greece following independence, Yiannis Kapodistrias. A small statue of Lord Byron features prominently in the garden. When Byron died, the Greeks were heartbroken at the loss of a British nobleman who had given his life for their freedom.

At the end of a national 21-day mourning period, Byron's embalmed body was returned to England, but his heart was kept by the Greeks and is buried beneath the statue.