Wahat Al Karama, Memorial monument near Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Wahat Al Karama is a memorial in Abu Dhabi made of 31 leaning aluminium panels, each resting on the next, designed by British artist Idris Khan. The panels are inscribed with the UAE national pledge and Arabic poems by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The site covers 46,000 square metres opposite the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and includes a circular limestone plaza seating 1,200 people.
Wahat Al Karama was unveiled on 30 November 2016, the UAE's Commemoration Day, and is the country's first war memorial. It was built in six months on a 46,000-square-metre site opposite the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, with British artist Idris Khan commissioned for the centrepiece and UAP and Bureau Proberts collaborating. The date honours Salem Suhail bin Khamis, a 20-year-old policeman killed in the Seizure of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs.
The name Wahat Al Karama means Oasis of Dignity. The Leaning Pillars carry the UAE national pledge and Arabic poems by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Visitors can watch the honour guard march near the monument each day before sunset.
The memorial is free to visit and easily accessible, with parking available nearby and shaded rest areas throughout. Comfortable shoes are recommended since there is walking across varied terrain, and early morning or late afternoon visits are best on hot days.
The Leaning Pillars carry the UAE national pledge and Arabic poems by four leaders: founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The slabs lean on one another, a design meant to express unity and solidarity between leadership and people.
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