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A huge pair of triumphal arches celebrating the alleged victory over Iran. Also known as the Hands of Victory. It marks the entrances to a former parade ground. In Ba'athist times, lavish victory parades and commemorations were a common event, showcasing military power and Saddam Hussein's cult of personality. Two arches feature thousands of captured Iranian helmets, symbolizing victory over Iran in the 1980s.
The Victory Arch, officially known as the Swords of Qādisīyah, and popularly called the Hands of Victory or the Crossed Swords, are a pair of triumphal arches in central Baghdad, Iraq. Each arch consists of a pair of outstretched hands holding crossed swords. The two arches mark the two entrances to Grand Festivities Square and the parade ground constructed to commemorate the Iran–Iraq War, started and led by Iraq's then-president Saddam Hussein. The arches were opened to the public on 8 August 1989. It is one of Baghdad's visitor attractions and near to the Monument to the Unknown Soldier.
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صرح الجندي المجهول
Inspired by the glorification of a martyr from the Iran–Iraq War. The monument represents a traditional shield (dira¹a) dropping from the dying grasp of an Iraqi warrior. The monument used to house a museum which is now mostly empty. Ask the Iraqi soldiers who guard the monument for permission.
حديقة حيوانات بغداد
The largest zoo in the country, opened in 1971. It was destroyed in the 2003 war but has quickly recovered. There are, however, few larger mammals to see.
شارع أبو نواس
Baghdad's famous riverside promenade, named after the 8th-century poet. The street comes alive in the evenings with families, street food vendors, tea houses, and restaurants serving fresh masgouf (grilled carp). One of the best places to experience everyday Baghdadi social life.
المتحف العراقي
Covering the history of Mesopotamian culture, this museum housed a huge collection before the Iraq War. Many pieces were looted, but in 2022, the museum was refurbished and reopened.
Anglican church, built in 1936.
Historic mosque and shrine, dating back to the Abbasid era.