نصب ١٤ تموز, Baghdad Travel Guide

The 14th of July Monument is a significant landmark in Baghdad, commemorating the 1958 revolution that overthrew the monarchy and established the Republic of Iraq. The monument is located in the Karkh district in west-central Baghdad. It sits on a traffic circle at the intersection of Arbataash Tamuz (14 July) and Al Kindi Street.The monument's design was initially commissioned to Rifat Chadirji, who conceived it as a large, elevated billboard. Chadirji then collaborated with the renowned sculptor Jawad Saleem to create the sculptural elements. Saleem, however, passed away before the monument's completion, and his wife, Lorna Saleem, along with colleague Mohammed Ghani Hikmat, finalized the project.The monument comprises 14 bronze castings representing 25 figures, set against a travertine slab. These figures depict the historical events leading up to the revolution and the subsequent harmony. The monument is meant to be read from right to left, like a verse of Arabic poetry, narrating the story of Iraq's path to independence. The figures evoke Babylonian, Assyrian, and Arab artworks. The monument has become a symbol of freedom and national identity, inspiring artists across the Arab world.