Victory Arch, Baghdad Travel Guide

The Victory Arch, officially known as the Swords of Qādisiyyah, is a pair of triumphal arches located in central Baghdad. Popularly called the Hands of Victory or the Crossed Swords, each arch features two massive hands emerging from the ground, each gripping a 43-meter-long sword. The swords meet at a central point about 40 meters above the ground.The arches mark the entrances to what was once known as Grand Festivities Square, a parade ground constructed to commemorate the Iran-Iraq War, which was started by Iraq's then-president Saddam Hussein. The monument was opened to the public on August 8, 1989. The official name, Swords of Qādisiyyah, alludes to the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah in 636 CE, when Arab armies defeated the Sasanian Empire.The design was conceived by Saddam Hussein and executed by Iraqi sculptors Khaled al-Rahal and Mohammed Ghani Hikmat. The swords are based on those carried by Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, a leader at the Battle of Qadisiyya. Some suggest the monument alludes to the death of Husayn ibn Ali, a Shi'a martyr, though it broadly symbolizes Iraqis who fell in any war. Today, the Victory Arch is one of Baghdad's most photographed monuments. Visitors can stand in specific locations to create the illusion that they are holding the swords.