Swords of Kadesia
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The Swords of Kadesia or Swords of Victory ( Arabic قوس النصر, DMG Qaus an-naṣr 'Triumphal Arch') are a monument erected in Baghdad in 1989 , consisting of two similar triumphal arches , which are about 650 meters apart at both ends of the large parade street. Each arch consists of two swords 43 meters long , held by two arms protruding from the ground and crossing at a height of 40 meters near their tips. The name of the monument is a reference to the victory of the Muslim Arabs against the Sassanids in the Battle of Kadesia .
The four steel swords were cast from the remains of Iraqi weapons and tanks from the First Gulf War against Iran . The building was completed in 1989. The German company " H + H Metallform " from Drensteinfurt , Westphalia , played a key role in the implementation. The supporting structure of the hands and the swords (made of stainless steel) come from Germany, the outer contour of the hands is made of bronze cast in England.
The arms of the monument, which are holding the swords crossed, are a copy of Saddam Hussein's arms , and even his fingerprints are said to be faithfully reproduced, which is what the discussion about whether the man arrested on December 13, 2003 is a doppelganger of Hussein , caused a stir, as the foundry in England still had a copy of Saddam Hussein's thumbprint, who commissioned the monument.
On each pedestal are 2500 partially shot helmets of Iranian soldiers killed in the First Gulf War. Iranian helmets are also used in the paving strips below the swords.
The monument is located in the so-called " Green Zone " of Baghdad. Initial plans by the Iraqi government to demolish the monument were later abandoned. Instead, the restoration of the swords began in February 2011.
literature
- Samir al-Khalil, The Monument. Art, Vulgarity and Responsibility in Iraq. University of California Press, Berkeley, 1991, ISBN 0-520-07376-2 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Heise.de: The Thumb of Power , March 13, 2006
- ↑ Steven Lee Myers: Iraq restores Hussein's Victory Arch as sign of reconciliation , February 6, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
Web links
Coordinates: 33 ° 18 ′ 19.4 ″ N , 44 ° 22 ′ 58.1 ″ E