Al Shaheed Monument / Saman Kamal | Classics on Architecture Lab

Architects: Saman Kamal
Year: 1983
Photographs: Steve McCurry, United States Navy, Wikimedia user Mondalawy, Wikimedia user Mimi.arashi, Wikimedia user Husseinalalie1, Wikimedia user HUSIEN alshmare, Wikimedia user Taifshakir, Wikimedia user Ali alhamzah, Edia
City: Baghdad
Country: Iraq

The Al Shaheed Monument, designed by Saman Kamal and Ismail Fatah al Turk, stands as a symbol of both beauty and complexity in Baghdad, Iraq. Commissioned by Saddam Hussein’s regime during the Iraq-Iran War, the turquoise-tiled, 40-meter dome is split into two hollowed halves—one sheltering a cascade and pool, the other housing an eternal flame for the war’s martyrs. Positioned on a 190-meter platform surrounded by an artificial lake, the structure includes a two-story underground complex with a museum, library, and gallery. Supported by a galvanized steel framework devised by Ove Arup & Partners, its carbon fiber-reinforced concrete construction cost $250 million by its 1983 opening. Despite its military origins, the monument features no overtly martial imagery. It remains a lasting, albeit controversial, symbol of Iraq’s history, with its meaning evolving as the nation seeks a new identity after Saddam Hussein’s regime.

The serene curves of the Al Shaheed Monument, reflected in the shimmering waters of a lake in the historic city of Baghdad, seem almost unimaginable as a creation born during a time of conflict and genocide. Commissioned by Saddam Hussein’s regime to honor the soldiers who perished in the Iraq-Iran War of the 1980s, this elegant structure radiates a tranquil beauty that contrasts sharply with the tumultuous circumstances surrounding its inception.

Iraq’s invasion of Iran in September 1980 was driven by multiple factors, chief among them the territorial ambitions of Iraqi president and dictator Saddam Hussein, who sought control of Iran’s oil-rich Khuzestan region. Furthermore, he aimed to counter alleged Iranian efforts to incite rebellion among Iraq’s Shiite Muslim majority. Within a year, Iranian forces had pushed back the Iraqi military, leading to a seven-year stalemate. Determined to defeat its aggressor, Iran continued the conflict until the economic toll forced it to accept a United Nations-brokered ceasefire in 1988.[1]

Al Shaheed Monument / Saman Kamal | Classics on Architecture Lab

The Iraq-Iran War occurred during the later part of a period when revenues from Iraqi oil exports were heavily invested in constructing monuments and memorials in Baghdad. These structures ranged from small fountains and statues to massive triumphal arches, built to celebrate the nation’s military victories. Often, these architectural tributes were completed before the wars they commemorated had ended. It was thus unsurprising that the monument honoring Iraq’s fallen soldiers in the war with Iran was inaugurated in 1983, five years before the ceasefire that would eventually end the conflict.[2]

Although inspired by a military context, the Al Shaheed Monument features no overt martial symbolism. Designed by Iraqi architect Saman Kamal and sculptor Ismail Fatah al Turk, the structure consists of a 40-meter (132-foot) tall arabesque pointed dome covered in turquoise tiles. The dome is bisected down the center, with its two hollowed halves offset from each other; one half houses a circular cascade and pool, while the other shelters an eternal flame honoring the war’s martyrs.[3] The monument rests on a 190-meter (623-foot) diameter circular platform situated in the center of an artificial lake. Beneath the platform lies a two-story complex, including a museum, library, lecture hall, cafeteria, gallery, and support facilities.[4]

Al Shaheed Monument / Saman Kamal | Classics on Architecture Lab

While the monument’s design was Iraqi in origin and development, the galvanized steel framework that supports it was engineered by the international firm Ove Arup & Partners, renowned for their work on projects such as the Sydney Opera House. The glazed tile exterior is cast in carbon fiber-reinforced concrete, adding significant structural strength. The combination of the artificial lake, man-made island, and the monumental centerpiece brought the total project cost to approximately $250 million by the time of its inauguration in 1983.[5,6]

“At the time of the Al Shaheed Monument’s inauguration in 1983, consulting engineer Hisham al-Madfai drafted the following words: “In the era of the Leader-President, Saddam Hussein, leader of the revolution and the people, the Iraqi Republic has achieved security of life for all Iraqis, so that they may enjoy honor, freedom, and civilizational advance in all areas.” However, shortly after the monument’s opening, al-Madfai was imprisoned due to technical issues with the concrete slab supporting the bisected turquoise dome.[7] This incident starkly highlighted the irony of his statement, as the same regime would later employ chemical weapons against its own Kurdish population.[8]

Although Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship has been forcibly ended, many of the monumental projects commissioned during his regime remain in Baghdad, serving as silent yet powerful reminders of the past. As Iraq navigates its challenging journey toward a new national identity, the role and meaning of these structures within the country remain uncertain. Time will determine whether the Al Shaheed Monument will forever be associated with the oppressive figure behind its creation or if its elegance and grandeur will transcend its origins, earning enduring admiration from the Iraqi people.

References

[1] “Iran-Iraq War.” Encyclopædia Britannica. September 22, 2008.
[2] Pike, John. “Baghdad Monuments.” Global Security. September 7, 2011.
[3] “Al-Shaheed Monument, Baghdad.” Amusing Planet. Accessed March 4, 2017.
[4] Pike.
[5] Khalil, Samir. The Monument: Art, Vulgarity, and Responsibility in Iraq. London: Andre Deutsch, 1991. p23.
[6] Pike.
[7] Khalil, p23.
[8] “Iran-Iraq War.”

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Project Location

Address: Baghdad, Baghdad Governorate, Iraq

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