Monument and memorial are two phrases that are complicated because of the comparability between them when it comes to their definitions and purpose, though, honestly speaking, there are some differences between them. It is fascinating to understand that these two memorials and monuments have become tourist attraction locations in various municipalities of different nations. A citadel or a chateau can be described as a monument. On the contrary, a citadel or a chateau can not be described as a memorial. The reason this occurs will be elucidated in this article. Therefore, if you need help distinguishing between a monument and a memorial, this article is for you.
What is a Monument?
A monument is an edifice, sculpture, or facility constructed to commemorate someone’s prominent or unique event. On the contrary, monuments are built to celebrate a significant individual or an occurrence. Moreover, a monument is built as an aspect of architectural magnificence. A monument is declared to possess a broader notion than a memorial. Some instances of the monument include the Arc De Triomphe in France, the Empire State Building, and the Washington Monument in America. The Arc De Triomphe is for commemorating the success of the combatants. The Empire State Building is a monument since it celebrates the blossoming American economy at the time. Washington Monument was constructed after the demise of George Washington, the first president of America. Hence, though it was built after the president’s demise, it was erected more to signify his purposes. This is the reason it is described as a monument. Therefore, one can observe that a monument is constructed to commemorate an individual and mark a unique occurrence.
What is a Memorial?
A memorial is often constructed as a grave for the dead king or a ruler in the olden period. A memorial is a building built to recognize an individual who has passed away. A lot of times, it suggests a sanctum or a gravestone. For instance, if you view a memorial constructed for the combatants who sacrificed their lives during a significant battle, it would imply that the memorial was built to commemorate the specialty and the importance of those deceased combatants. That kind of layout is there to keep the individual’s remembrance alive. Most times, memorials also enunciate architectural significance; however, they provide little importance to the abidance of architectural aspects in their building. Their primary justification is to exalt the service generated by individuals from specific walks of life, which includes fighters, presidents, politicians, and other notable men and women from various areas of life. Since memorials usually escort the names of individuals after their demise, one could declare that memorials are connected to demise and devastation. Instances of memorials include World Trade Center Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Martin Luther King Jr memorial. These are instances of things constructed to commemorate individuals after they pass away. The World Trade Center memorial was built for those who passed away in the world trade center terrorist invasion in 2001. Martin Luther King Jr memorial commemorates Martin Luther King Jr, who was an essential activist in requesting equivalent freedoms for black individuals in America. Lincoln Memorial is in remembrance of Abraham Lincoln, one of the most well-known presidents in the united states history. He was the president who stopped the enslavement of black individuals.
Difference Between Monument and Memorial
- A monument is a building, sculpture, or construction constructed to celebrate someone’s significant or unique occurrence. A Memorial is a building or sculpture built to commemorate a dead individual or a team of individuals who passed away in an essential past event.
- Paying homages or honoring an individual for his acts or commemorating an image concerning an essential occurrence is the purpose of a monument, while going ahead to remember an individual even after a demise is the objective of a memorial.
- Monuments possess so much architectural importance as they also appear in the structure of constructions. On the contrary, memorials do not have much architectural importance as monuments.
