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All Iraq Baghdad 'Save Iraqi Culture'

'Save Iraqi Culture'

A surreal monument depicting a five-armed giant supporting a toppling cylinder seal.

Baghdad, Iraq

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Fred Cherrygarden
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‘Save Iraqi Culture’   Mohammed Rasool thamer
‘Save Iraqi Culture’   Ammar0780
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About

In 2010, a bizarre sculpture was unveiled in the Mansour district of Baghdad, Iraq.

Designed by renowned sculptor Mohammed Ghani Hikmat, it depicts a muscular giant supporting a Sumerian-style cylinder seal, which is broken at the base and toppling, using all his five arms.

When deciphered, the cuneiform on the cylinder seal reads "writing began here" in reference to the Mesopotamian civilization's role in the development of writing systems. Commissioned by the mayor of Baghdad, it was part of the city's attempt to improve its long-tarnished image, to promote the richness of Iraqi culture and history.

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Art History & Culture Sculptures

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Fred Cherrygarden

Published

September 26, 2023

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'Save Iraqi Culture'
Baghdad
Iraq
33.315105, 44.367779

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