Tahrir Square, Baghdad
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Liberation Square or al-Tahrir Square (), originally known as Queen Alia Square () is a square located in central
Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
at the intersection of
al-Sa'doun Street Al-Sa'doun Street or al-Sa'adoun Street () is one of the main streets of Baghdad, Iraq, which connects the districts of Al-Rusafa, Iraq, al-Rusafa and Karrada, eastern Karrada and located in Al-Sa'adoon, al-Sa'doun neighborhood. The street runs fr ...
and al-Jumhuriya Bridge road. Al-Tahrir Square is
Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
's biggest and most central square located in the al-Rusafa part of the city on the eastern banks of the
Tigris The Tigris ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the eastern of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian Desert, Syrian and Arabia ...
river. In recent years, al-Tahrir Square became the center of various protests and demonstrations in Baghdad and in
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
. Most notably of these was the unrest of the October 2019 Iraqi protests that saw hundreds of thousands gathering to protest against the Iraqi government and its failures with many volunteered to help the protestors.


Description

Known as al-Tahrir Square locally, the square consists of open public spaces with al-Umma Garden, situated behind the square. It is home to a major bronze monument which commemorates the 1958 establishment of the
Republic of Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south, Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and Kuwait to the southeast, Jordan to the southwest, and Syria to th ...
.Reynolds, D.F., ''The Cambridge Companion to Modern Arab Culture,''Cambridge University Press, 2015, p. 199 Being the biggest square in the city, it the center of Baghdad that is also the intersection of al-Sa'doun Street and connects the traffic road to al-Jumhuriya Bridge. The square is also located in front of the building nicknamed the "Turkish Restaurant" which would become the center of modern Iraqi protests. The square also connects to
al-Khilani Square Al-Khilani Square () is a roundabout located in Al-Rusafa, Iraq, al-Rusafa side of Baghdad, Iraq. The square is home to many markets and departments as well as al-Khilani Mosque where the square got its name. In addition, the square is located in ...
which is 500 meters away from it. The area was called "al-Tahrir" in relation to freedom from British colonialism, as a result the square has been associated with freedom and political demonstrations. The square is located in front of al-Jumhuriya Bridge. On the left is the Tigris Primary School for girls, and al-Aqeeda High School for Girls. On the right is the former Turkish Restaurant building. The square is surrounded by several bookstores, including al-Nahda Library.


Nasb al-Hurriyya

One of the most notable aspects of the square is the Nasb al-Hurriyya ("The Freedom Monument) which is located on the eastern side of the square just behind the main garden of the square. The monument includes protruding sculptures to continue a sculpting tradition of ancient Iraqi civilizations including Babylonian, Assyrian, and
Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 C ...
eras. The number of monument's parts is fourteen, which was done on purpose by its creator, Jawad Saleem, to represent the 14 July Iraqi coup of 1958. Which includes 25 figures, including an ox and a horse. The monument is supposed to highlight Iraqi freedom since the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
days.


Al-Umma Garden

The garden at the square was first established by King Ghazi and was originally known as the Garden of King Ghazi, later changed to al-Umma Garden ("''Garden of the Nation''") and is recognized as one of the most important features of the square. It is surrounded on both sides by the Nasb al-Hurriyya monument, and a large painting done by Iraqi artist Faiq Hassan. Both were established after the 1958 Iraqi coup. A third artistic sculpture called "The Mother Statue" is also located in the garden. Due to the artistic nature of the garden, it is recognized as a cultural center in the city and part of its social life. The garden also includes small lakes and several plants that were planted over the years of its existence.


History


Historical background

The area that became al-Tahrir Square was first established in 1937 during the Royal era where a roundabout was built. The monument, known as ''Nasb al-Hurriyah'' is located here which celebrates Iraqi history by depicting key events leading up to the creation of a republic. The monument, designed by the leading Iraqi sculptor Jawad Saleem and architect,
Rifat Chadirji Rifat Chadirji (, also Romanization of Arabic, Romanized ''Rifa'at Al Chaderchi''; 6 December 1926 – 10 April 2020) was an Iraq, Iraqi architect. He was often referred to as the father of modern Iraqi architecture, having designed more than 10 ...
, opened in 1961. Al-Tahrir Square was the center of Baghdad while
al-Rashid Street Al-Rashid Street () is one of the main avenues in downtown Baghdad, Iraq. Named after Abbasid Caliphate, Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid, it is one of the most significant landmarks of the city due to its political, spiritual, urban, and cultural h ...
was the main avenue of the city. On 27 January 1969, fourteen people, who were convicted of being
Zionist Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...
spies and traitors by the ruling
Ba'ath Party The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party ( ' ), also known simply as Bath Party (), was a political party founded in Syria by Michel Aflaq, Salah al-Din al-Bitar, and associates of Zaki al-Arsuzi. The party espoused Ba'athism, which is an ideology ...
at the time, were hanged publicly in front of thousands of spectators in the square and was aired on TV, and their bodies were left dangling in the square publicly. The event made national headlines and Iraqi radio praised the event and congratulated the government on its "revolutionary" action. Public executions would become common in the square with full radio and television coverage. The square was also a location for young artists and painter to paint about freedom and a good life in Iraq.
Graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...
on walls showcasing women reflected thoughts about women rights in the country, as well as other social roles.


Protests and demonstrations after 2003

Al-Tahrir Square was the epicenter of the unrest of the October 2019 Iraqi protests. The protests began on the first of October of 2019 over high unemployment, poor basic services, such as daily electricity cuts, and state corruption. Hundreds of protestors refused to leave the square for months until they can get their human rights. The protest contained diverse people, including protestors who embraced tradition and those who were "raised on social media", from all generations. Around the square are two streets where elementary elements and ambulances can be reached. Participants in the protest, mainly women, cooked and made bread for the protestors free of charge and also offered food for visitors for free. Many protestors also slept in the Turkish Restaurant and kept an eye on security forces. Transportation in the square was only provided by Tuk-Tuks, driven by people under the age of 18 and became one of the icons of the demonstrations. The Turkish Restaurant was taken over after fears that snipers would use the building to target the protests materialized. The buildings became filled with banners supporting the demonstrators and Iraqi flags and became an icon of the protests. The building was compared and nicknamed to
Mount Uhud Mount Uhud (, ) is a mountain north of Medina, in the Hejazi region of Saudi Arabia. It is high and long. It was the site of the second battle between the Prophets of Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad and the Shirk (Islam), polytheists of his T ...
by the protestors, which witnessed the
Battle of Uhud The Battle of Uhud () was fought between the early Muslims and the Quraysh during the Muslim–Quraysh wars in a valley north of Mount Uhud near Medina on Saturday, 23 March 625 AD (7 Shawwal, 3 AH). After the expulsion of Hijrah, Muslims from ...
in which Muslims left the mountain before the end of the fighting, sustaining heavy losses. On 16 November 2019, at least four protesters were killed and nearly 20 were injured as a car bomb attack took place at the Square. No group claimed responsibility for the first explosion in the ongoing anti-government protests. When the protest reached its 1-year mark on the first of October, 2020, protesters who gathered in al-Tahrir Square were sighted raising pictures of more than 600 people who died and injuries to 26,000 others since the beginning of the protests in 2019 in Baghdad and across southern Iraq. On 22 July, 2023, Iraqi protesters chose the square as the epicenter of protests denouncing the burning of the
Qu'ran The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation directly from God (''Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which consist of individual verses ('). Besides i ...
outside the Iraqi embassy in
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
,
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
. Participants of the protest had reportedly attempted to cross the nearby al-Jumhuriya Bridge to proceed toward the Danish Embassy, which led the Iraqi police to deploy tear gas on the protestors. After pushing back protesters, authorities have closed the bridge to traffic. On July On 13 October 2023, thousands of Iraqis gathered in the square, waving Palestinian flags and burning Israeli flags while chanting anti-Israeli and anti-American slogans.


See also

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Al-Maidan Square Al-Maidan Square (), also known as just al-Maidan, is an old locality and area located in Al-Rusafa, Iraq, al-Rusafa district in Baghdad, Iraq, that begins from Bab al-Mu'adham to al-Rashid Street. The square includes many buildings, markets, de ...
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Iraqi conflict The Iraqi conflict is a series of violent events that began with the 2003 American-led 2003 invasion of Iraq, invasion of Iraq and deposition of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, followed by a series of conflicts including the protracted Iraq War ...


References


Works cited

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External links





{{coord, 33.3293, N, 44.4101, E, source:wikidata, display=title Geography of Baghdad National squares Monuments and memorials in Iraq Squares in Iraq