Al-Shaheed Monument

Baghdad's landmark modern memorial (1983), split turquoise dome 40m diameter, Iraq-Iran War.

The Al-Shaheed Monument (Martyr's Memorial) is Baghdad's most striking modern monument, inaugurated in 1983 during the Iran-Iraq War. Designed by Iraqi sculptor Ismail Fatah al-Turk, it consists of a split turquoise dome 40 metres in diameter, symbolising a torn nation, with an underground museum beneath. Originally dedicated to soldiers fallen in the First Gulf War, it is now considered a memorial for all Iraqi martyrs.