Swords of Qādisiyyah

This is a picture of one of the Swords of Victory. There are 2 sets of hands holding crossed swords. The two arches mark the entrances to a parade-ground constructed to commemorate then Saddam Hussein's declaration of victory over Iran in the Iran-Iraq war. Plaster casts of Hussein's forearms were the model for the hands. The sword blades are made from captured weapons and at the base of the statues, there are thousands of Iranian helmets—a lot of which have bullet holes in them. Further down the road, is a large set of bleachers and a balcony. If you remember a picture of Saddam firing a shotgun in the air as the Republican Guard marched by, this is where it was taken.
Recently, the government of Iraq started dismantling the swords—so to better rid themselves of the memory of Saddam.