Sheikh Zayed, Father of the Nation
Sheikh Zayed had just passed away for a few months when I came to the UAE in April 2005 but then the people's love and affection for him was still (and still is) very evident. I would later on come to know of his great leadership, charisma, and influence through words from people I know and by living in the country we now consider as our second home.
In 1966, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan came into power. Known as "Father of the Nation", he built on the early achievements of his brother and he dedicated himself to the progress and development, and well-being of his people. He led the formation of the United Arab Emirates (7 Emirates) in 1971 and he became the first President of the country.
The Founder's Memorial
The Founder's Memorial was inaugurated in 2018 as the UAE celebrated Year of Zayed, which also coincided with Sheikh Zayed's 100th birthday.
The Founder's Memorial is located at the corner of Corniche Street and Al Marsa (18th) Street . It is adjacent to the Emirates Palace Hotel, and also very near the Etihad Towers.
There is a parking space dedicated to visitors, or if taking public transportation, there is a bus stop just in front of the Welcome Centre at Al Marsa Street.
Entry to the Founder's Memorial is free.It is open daily from 9am to 10pm, though it is required to pre-book your visit which can be done here. Should you happen to be in the area and just decide to pass by (as we did), that should not stop you. If there are not that many visitors, you can still register on the spot through the same website I mentioned above. This barely takes a couple of minutes. You just have to declare that you are "covid-free", add your email address, then you will receive your ticket through email.
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Inside the center, you will be able to witness a collection of video clips from which one can learn more about Sheikh Zayed's vision and values. I'm not quite sure, but I'd assume that pre-pandemic there was much more to see here than the short film presentation. There was an area that has been closed, which we don't really mind as my kids were more interested in wandering outside.
We headed on and eagerly walked around the vast grounds.
The Constellation
The Constellation is a monumental artwork that is the centerpiece of The Founder's Memorial. It is made up of over 1,300 geometric shapes suspended on cables to portray an image of Sheikh Zayed. [1]
We came here at around mid-day, and though the image of Sheikh Zayed could clearly be deciphered at different angles, this monument is much more beautiful at night.
There honestly isn't much to do here, apart from seeing the Constellation and walking through the shades of the trees around. It still isn't a bad idea especially during these days when the weather is perfect. We don't get this kind of weather all the time, so when given the opportunity like this, I'd heartily take it.
Be ready to walk and stand a lot though. There aren't any benches to sit on!
It was a great thing that my kids packed a lot of energy with them, even after spending hours running around the Marina Breakwater. They found a way to entertain themselves here by observing this water channel that runs through the stairs from the road-side entrance down to the middle of the grounds approaching the Constellation.
This quick trip to the Founder's Memorial came just a few days after the UAE National Day. I personally owe a lot to this country, which has "adopted" me and my family for 15 years and let us build our dreams here. Two years after it has been erected, I finally had the chance to visit this place and somehow "salute" the man whose vision let us experience the country as it is.
Reference:
[1] Discover The Constellation
More About The UAE:
Exploring The World - Through Time: Abu Dhabi, UAE by @arrliinn
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Very nice and interesting way to pay tribute to someone who was such an important figure in local history. Great report with a lot of cool shots. I am happy to nominate this piece to my latest upvote giveaway and add some support from Tipu ;)
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Thank you very much! Shk. Zayed really is an important figure who is dearly looked upon by locals and expats alike.
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Hiya, @ybanezkim26 here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Daily Travel Digest #1070.
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