The Monument to the Unknown Soldier () is a monument in central Baghdad built by Italian architect based on a concept by Iraqi sculptor Khaled al-Rahal and constructed between 1979 and 1982. It was dedicated to the martyrs of the Iran–Iraq War. In 1986 the national square of Iraq, Great Celebrations square, was built near the monument, and two other monuments were built close to the square in memory of the martyrs. In 1983, the Al-Shaheed Monument on the River, was opened and in 1989 the newly built Victory Arch became the entrances to the square. The Unknown Soldier's Monument represents a traditional shield (dira¹a) dropping from the dying grasp of an Iraqi warrior. The monument also houses an underground museum. Background The Monument to the Unknown Soldier was commissioned in 1979 and completed in 1982. It was part of a broader Ba'athist government program to build a number of public works that would help instil a sense of national pride, and at the same time immortalise Saddam Hussein's reputation as a powerful leader. Saddam turned to his favourite artist, Khaled al-Rahal, who did more than any other Iraqi artist to incorporate ancient motifs in his work, to devise the concept for the monument. Following the construction of the Monument to the Unknown Soldier, another colossal structure, the Al-Shaheed Monument (1983) was opened in the same area, and Saddam commissioned a third monument, the Victory Arch, another concept, also by the sculptor, Khaled Al-Rahal, to be built in the same vicinity (commenced in 1983 and completed in 1989 after the sculptor's death). The three monuments form a visual and psychological unit, and all represent the pain and suffering of the eight-year war. Description The original concept was the work of Iraqi sculptor, Khaled al-Rahal, with the architectural designs developed by the Italian architect, Marcello D'Olivo. The monument sits on top of an artificial hill, shaped like a low, truncated cone of 250 m diameter. The monument itself consists of several elements grouped on the hilltop. The centrepiece is a cantilevered dome, 42 m in diameter, with an inclination of 12 degrees and made of reinforced concrete. The dome represents a dira'a (Iraqi shield) falling from the grasp of a dying warrior. At the side of the dome, is a spiral tower, which is reminiscent of the minaret at Samarra. Its external surface is clad with copper, while its inner surface