ABU DHABI, UAE - OCTOBER, 2018: Wahat Al Karama (Oasis of Dignity), permanent memorial for its martyrs, and Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque.; Shutterstock ID 1243074628; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Free things Abu Dhabi article

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This memorial, opposite the eastern side of the Grand Mosque, was inaugurated in 2016 in memory of Emiratis who have given their lives in service to the nation. The main monument, a leaning stack of 31 mammoth aluminium-clad tablets inscribed with poems and quotations from prominent UAE figureheads, sits in front of a Memorial Plaza fashioned from Turkish travertine stone centred around a shallow, circular pool which reflects both the panels and the Grand Mosque just across the busy highway.

Also here is The Pavilion of Honour, an embedded polygon structure, lined with a circular internal wall clad with more than 2800 aluminium plates sourced from military vehicles and inscribed with the names of fallen service men and women. The Visitor's Centre at the entrance holds a small exhibition on the UAE's military history, with a strong focus on its aid mission work in various countries, though failing to mention its ongoing military action in Yemen.

Free shuttle buses shuffle between the north parking lot (car park D) of the Grand Mosque and Wahat Al Karama every 30 minutes between 10am and 6pm daily.


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