The Victory Arch is one of three monuments that were built to remember the Iran-Iraq war from 1980-1988. The first of these structures was The Monument to the Unknown Soldier (1982), followed by Al Shaheed Monument (1983) and finally the Victory Arch (1989).
The Victory Arch are a pair of triumphal arches that mark the entrance to Grand Festivities Square located closed to Al Zawraa Park. It is designed by the Iraqi Khaled Al Rahal. After his death, the Iraqi sculptor Mohammed Ghani Hikmat completed the work.
The monument has a number of elements, each made from different construction materials:
The exploding ground is constructed of reinforced concrete, with helmets of Iranian soldiers scattered around.
The hands and forearms (the hands and forearms of Saddam Hussain) are cast in bronze, each weighing 20 tons and fixed with a reinforced frame, also 20 tons.
The swords are cast in stainless steel (partly composed of melted metal from guns and tanks of Iraqi soldiers killed in the Iran-Iraq war).
The net is cast in bronze and each contains 2.500 helmets of Iranian soldiers killed during the war.
The flag pole is made of stainless steel.
