Firdaus Square, or Firdos Square (Arabic: ساحة الفردوس; transliterated: Sahat al-Firdaus), is a public open space in Baghdad, Iraq. It is named after the Arabic word Firdows, which literally means "paradise". It is the location of two of the best-known hotels, the Palestine Hotel and the Sheraton Ishtar, which are the two tallest buildings in Baghdad. The square was the site of the statue of Saddam Hussein that was torn down by U.S. coalition forces in a widely-televised event during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. A green, abstract sculpture by Bassem Hamad al-Dawiri now stands on the site of the former statue.
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In April 2002, a 12-metre (39 ft) statue was erected in honour of the 65th birthday of Saddam Hussein.[1]
The statue was pulled down by American forces during the 2003 invasion of Iraq in front of a crowd of around a hundred Iraqis. The event was widely televised, and some of this footage was criticized for exaggerating the size of the crowd.[2] Robert Fisk described it as "the most staged photo opportunity since Iwo Jima".[3]
The site of statue now houses a green, abstract sculpture intended to symbolize "freedom", designed by sculptor Bassem Hamad al-Dawiri.[4]
On April 9, 2005, the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, the square was the center of a large-scale demonstration from tens of thousands of Iraqis protesting the American occupation. The demonstration was organized by Moqtada Sadr, a Shi'ite cleric, and supported by Sheikh Abd al-Zahra al-Suwaid a follower of the Green Party. Suwaid was quoted as stating to the gathered "The rally must be peaceful. You should demand the withdrawal of the occupation forces and press for quicker trials for Saddam Hussein and his aides before an Iraqi court."