In the second part of the Al-Shaheed Monument series, Round City explores the social, cultural and creative impacts of the monument on the city of Baghdad.
For our holistic review of Al-Shaheed Monument, which started with uncovering the historical timeline in part I, exploring the social, cultural and creative meanings is now necessary to better understand the overall success of the monument and its journey to becoming one of the most recognisable and relatable icons in Iraq.
Framing an analytical approach to understanding Al-Shaheed Monument requires a brief definition of monuments in general: monuments are structures erected to commemorate an event or individual(s). Varying in size, they can range from being a life-size statue made by a single sculptor to the tallest, longest or biggest building in a country or city, marking the territory’s economic success or political dominance. Monuments can involve hundreds of professionals in the process of their making.
Monuments can also have a transformative impact on their location through planning, on people by reflecting shared aspirations, and on culture through meaning.
Ismail Fatah Al-Turk’s sculpture of Abu Nawas, which he sculpted on his own with the help of his students 
Tallest building in Poland,P the alace of Culture & Science a monument symbolising political dominance, built in 1955 in the “Seven sisters” soviet style 
The historical axis of Paris is an example of a monument transforming its city and planning
Baghdad‘s Al-Shaheed Monument has succeeded in becoming a part of the city, people and culture. And although the aesthetic aspect of the monument plays a major role in its success, there are other aspects that need to be considered when reviewing this monument, and they are the timelessness of the monument’s meaning, the collaborative approach of its creation, its identity, and its location and accessibility.
Martyrdom in local culture
Martyrdom, is the ultimate act of selflessness as it is the giving of oneself for and idea of a belief. For many Iraqis, Al-Shaheed Monument became more relevant over time as the number of martyrs multiplied since the day the monument was conceived.
This lasting relevance is unusual for Iraq, a country that has many examples in its modern period of monuments being destroyed after a change in regime. The first example of this in modern Iraq was after the end of the monarchy and, as a pattern, continued typically as one of the first acts of a new regime, reflecting the ruling class’ understanding of art as a mere temporary propaganda tool and not a historical reference to specific periods in a nation’s history. Thus, because of the enduring relevance of the idea of martyrdom to the nation, the theme of Al-Shaheed Monument became timeless.
Lieutenant General Stanley Maude Monument in Baghdad 
Maude’s statue was removed in the morning of 14 July, 1958 following the assassination of the royal family and a declared end to the monarchy 
King Faisal I statue was removed in the morning of the 14 July, 1958. 31 years later, a replica was installed on the same day at the entrance to Haifa Street 
In 1963, after 8 February, following the assassination of Prime Minister Abd al-Karim Qasim, authorities wanted to remove Iraq’s most loved monument, the Liberty Monument, but an intervention by Dr Mohamed Makiya and Qahtan Awni convinced the mayor of Baghdad to abort the plan 
The Unknown Soldier Monument was built in 1959 and removed in 1982 by the order of President Saddam Hussein. Dr Rifat Chadirji, the designer of the monument, took a memorial photo with the contractor responsible for the removal of the monument 
Saddam Hussein’s monument that replaced Chadirji’s Unknown Soldier Monument was toppled in 2003 as the very first act of the American forces that entered the city centre
The integrated creative approach
Al-Shaheed Monument’s creativity and monumentality should not be reduced to only the symbolism of its split dome. Creativity here presents itself on several levels: the obvious creativity is the abstraction of the split dome, while the intangible creativity is the integration of the various fields and specialisations that brought the monument to life.
Limiting the sculptor’s role to the design of the above ground elements of the monument (the dome, flag and waterfall) and the architect’s to the below ground elements (the museum) undervalues the collective effort, and results in a misunderstanding of the design process. Conversely, acknowledging the integrated approach does not undermine anyone’s contribution or mastery.
Monuments of such large scale like Al-Shaheed require the integration of different fields and in this case art and architecture during the design phase, as neither architectural nor sculptural education can prepare one to achieve such monumentality at such a scale without the integration of both fields. For this reason, Al-Shaheed Monument presents an excellent example of this collaboration, which was bolstered by thorough research and advanced technology provided by the contractor and structural consultant.
In 1980, Mitsubishi’s studies of the dome and its planned cladding changed the use of tiling materials from gold-plated tiles to blue ceramic tiles backed with a carbon fiber reinforced concrete. The latter is extremely light and was used for the first time in the world based on a suggestion by the structural consultant Ove Arup International.
Heat gain was forecasted, and ventilation openings were made in the dome to ensure it does not affect the steel structure inside. Both the tiles with their backing and the steel frame were prefabricated in Mitsubishi’s factory in Japan and assembled in Iraq. All these studies and research efforts by the contractor contributed to the timelessness of the monument because when viewed within Baghdad’s urban context, it gave the impression that it was recently built.
Interestingly, the blue tiles are not only one shade of blue. Following the decision to use ceramic tiles, the designers visited six different mosques and took samples from each to determine the shade of blue used in Baghdadi mosque domes. They later realised that each mosque uses a different shade of blue. Thus, each of the dome panels comprises around 30 tiles in six different tints of blue arranged randomly, giving the dome undeniable “Iraqiness” through the unique blue colour.
The creativity, design approach and overall aesthetic of Al-Shaheed monument became a source of inspiration to a number of public buildings in Iraq. Regardless of their aesthetic qualities (or lack thereof), these buildings either attempted to investigate the modernisation of an architectural element in an approach similar to Al-Shaheed’s or were direct copies, which is a testimony to its impact on the architectural and artistic community. Unfortunately, these works did not appreciate the integrated effort and they lacked architectural and artistic understanding.
A Martyrs Monument in Samawa attempts to offer a variation of Al-Shaheed Monument, but lacks the architectural understanding, scale, planning and construction quality. 
The Shiekh Maroof Al-Karkhi Mosque is an unsuccessful attempt to manipulate a dome, but it lacks the aesthetics and architectural understanding.
Accessibility and visual proximity
Baghdad has witnessed several public art and architectural commissions that have reshaped its skyline, but not all of them are accessible to the public. The best example of this is the Unknown Soldier Monument. The idea of its inception occurred at the same time as Al-Shaheed Monument in 1978, and it was completed in 1983. The difference between the two is that while the Unknown Soldier Monument was built in the government’s quarter (now the Green Zone), next to ministries and palaces, for the unknown soldiers who died fighting for the country, the parents of said unknown soldiers are often stopped and questioned if they try to visit or take photos of the monument while on the nearby main road. Al-Shaheed Monument, on the other hand, is greatly accessible, and this, along with its location, has played a key part in the society’s acceptance and adoration of it.
Al-Shaheed Monument sits in close proximity to Baghdad’s old centre as well as its most densely populated area. Edged by two major roads, it is also on route to Baghdad’s three main universities and sports facilities. The split dome and the emerging flag hugged by the two main forms is a daily scene enjoyed by tens of thousands of Iraqis every day. Therefore, while many monuments and cultural institutions in Iraq are ‘for the people’, yet are inaccessible, Al-Shaheed Monument can be seen every day, and it is often filmed, photographed and experienced indirectly and directly.
Al-Shaheed’s relation to the city and the persistent visuals of it from different points further set the tone for those arriving to the structure’s premises.
The design narrative
Within the monument’s grounds, the designers aimed to give onlookers and visitors a unique experience and a reminder of the scale of the martyrs’ sacrifice by setting up an abstracted scene that can be seen, heard and felt. Arriving to the monument via Palestine Street slowly reveals the two halves of the dome – an illusion created by the movement around the monument. As the visitor reaches the main entrance, the dome’s split becomes completely visible, and as one approaches the platform, the monument’s three main elements – the dome, the flag and the waterfall spring – partake in a synchronised narrative.
This narrative begins with the act of martyrdom – an act so strong that it causes the split in the dome. Between the halves, and as a consequence of the act, the soul of the martyr rises from the ground to the sky in a spiritual journey. Here, we see a sculpture of a martyr’s body wrapped in the Iraqi flag emerging from underground, illustrating the rooted relation between the martyr and their land.
At the same time, the spring water overflows from the platform level to the level below, expressing the givingness of the martyrs who have sacrificed their lives. The water symbolises this givingness, as well as the continuation of life on this land as a result of the martyr’s sacrifice.
Water utilisation here is impressive: the sound of water falling is predominant in the area between the halves of the dome, and it isolates the visitor from their surroundings, helping them focus on what’s within the dome.
The coordination of the three elements perfectly captures the spirit of the monument in its totality on the staircase next to the waterfall spring: here, just a few steps down from ground level, visitors can look up at the monumentality and scale of the dome, witnessing the martyr’s body wrapped in the flag leaving the ground, while listening to the water falling. Everything but these three elements falls into oblivion.
A view of the flag moving towards the sky from the underground level. The flag is supported by a steel structure emerging through a seven-metre-wide, glass-covered hole 
The continuous spring of a “waterfall pond” symbolising the “givingness of martyrs” flows to the underground level 
The coordination of the three elements perfectly captures the spirit of the monument in its totality. Image courtesy of Deema Al-Yahya
The monument contains two other elements, which are located below the platform: the dyke and the name stones. The dyke’s representations are several as mentioned by the designers in their design report, but the most noticeable is its abstraction of the battlefield context.
The second below ground element is the name stones. These are the three-kilometre-long walls behind the dyke that have thousands of martyrs’ names engraved on them. The outside granite walls and the inside marble walls have more than 150,000 names on them, which were engraved between 1988 and 1993. The walls also contain impressions of palm trees and other Iraqi symbols that were engraved during the construction of the monument.
What is unique about the name stones is that these walls were engraved manually rather than mechanically. This decision presented a unique opportunity for several calligraphists, crafts students and young sculptors (who are now well-known artists) to practice their profession at a high level.
The dyke surrounding the monument. Between 2003 and 2009 the dyke was utilised for the protection of the American forces occupying the monument 
The name stone wall is three kilometres long 
The outside granite walls and the inside marble walls have more than 150,000 names on them, which were engraved between 1988 and 1993 
Ismail Al-Turk with a group of young craftsmen and architects
From the opening of Al-Shaheed Monument until 2003, it was one of three main ceremonial venues used by the state. However, after the 2003 US-led invasion, Al-Shaheed Monument became barracks for a section of the 1st Armored Division of the US Army, and it was closed for the public. As with many other landmark sites occupied by the US forces, Al-Shaheed Monument fell into disrepair and was greatly damaged due to the heavy military use. Additionally, some elements have disappeared, such as the bronze wreath that once surrounded the flag sculpture and an imposing swimming pool was dug for the leisure of forces occupying the monument.
The bronze wreath that once surrounded the flag sculpture disappeared after 2003 
American forces enter Al-Shaheed Monument in April 2003 
Vehicles and heavy military use left signs of damage on the monument and its premises 
Before 2003 vehicles were not allowed in the dyke area
End of Part II