Al-Firdos Square
ساحة الفردوس | |
|---|---|
| City square | |
 Section of Firdos Square in foreground, with Ramadan Mosque behind in 2003 | |
| Location | Al-Sadoon Street and Abu-Nuw'as Street, Al-Rusafa quarter Baghdad, Iraq |
| Coordinates: 33°18′52.68″N 44°25′14.43″E / 33.3146333°N 44.4206750°E | |
Al-Firdos Square (Arabic: ساحة الفردوس, romanized: Sāḥat al-Firdaus) is a public open space in central Baghdad, Iraq. It is named after the Persian word Ferdows, meaning 'paradise'. The site has been the location of several monumental artworks.
Al-Firdos Square is located in the middle of al-Sa'doun Street and between Tahrir and Kahramana squares and in front of the 17th of Ramadan Mosque. The square is also located opposite the Abu Nawas Street which overlooks the Tigris River. The two of the best-known hotels in Baghdad, the Palestine Hotel and the Sheraton Ishtar, are located on the square.[1]
The square is infamous for the toppling of the statue of Saddam Hussein during the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The image of the toppling was shown across the world and became a symbol of victory in Iraq. At the same time, became a symbol of American propaganda. The square is also the site of the killing of two journalists in the Palestine Hotel on the 8th of April.[2]
- ^ "بالصور- شهدت إسقاط تمثال صدام حسين.. ساحة الفردوس ببغداد تبعث للحياة مجددا | أخبار سياسة | الجزيرة نت". 2022-09-11. Archived from the original on 2022-09-11. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
- ^ "The toppling of Saddam's statue: how the US military made a myth | Saddam Hussein | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2023-08-16.