Monumento Combatentes Ultramar Memorial, Lisbon Editorial Photo

To the western edge of Belem is the visually striking war memorial dedicated to soldiers of the Portuguese army who died during the Overseas War of 1961 to 1974. The Monumento Combatentes Ultramar memorial comprises of three distinctive sections; the flame, the monument and memorial wall. The central flame burns continuously to signify the lasting memory of the dead soldiers while the names of each solider who died in the protracted African conflict are etched into the the three walls that surround the memorial. The artistic section of the Monumento Combatentes Ultramar include a shallow purpose built lake and two large angled pillars that jut out above the flame. The name of each soldier who perished is engraved onto the 180 bronze plates that surround the central memorial. The Monumento Combatentes Ultramar was unveiled in February 2000 and was designed by artists Carlos Guerrero and Batista Barros.