9/11 MEMORIAL

The new towers of the World Trade Center frame the 9/11 Memorial, this large space dedicated to the victims of the attacks. It is the central element of the site. Opened on September 11, 2011, 10 years after the collapse of the twin towers, the Memorial consists of two large pools with interior waterfalls (North Pool and South Pool) where the names of all the victims of the 2001 and 1993 attacks are forever engraved on the walls of these two square bases, above the museum that pays tribute to them. There's about three thousand of them. Sad anecdote: sometimes you will see that a white rose has been slipped into the engraving of a name, it's a way to pay tribute to the victims whose birthday it is. It is not uncommon to see relatives gathering in front of one of the names. The perpetual movement of the water that falls into the basin and then rises again represents both the fall of the twin towers but also the cycle of life and permanent renewal. We don't forget, but we go on living. These two basins are located exactly where the two towers of the World Trade Center used to be. The memorial is now open to the public and you can visit it, free of charge, at any time of the day. Every September 11, the American president goes there and lays a rose before observing a minute's silence. Despite the tragic events that took place there, the atmosphere is not heavy but rather soothing. A magnificent place of meditation.