Al-Shaheed was built as part of a broader Ba'athist government program to erect a number of public works intended to beautify Baghdad, help instill a sense of national pride, and at the same time immortalize Saddam Hussein's reputation as a powerful and victorious leader.

[1][2][3][4][5] It was built during the height of a period when Saddam Hussein was commissioning many artworks and spending a great deal of money on new monuments and statues.

The outer shells are constructed of a galvanized steel frame with glazed turquoise ceramic tile cladding which was pre-cast in carbon fiber reinforced concrete.

[13] The monument is located on the east side of the Tigris river, near the Army Canal which separates Sadr city from the rest of Baghdad.

A museum, library, cafeteria, lecture hall, and exhibition gallery are located on two levels underneath the domes.

[12] An image of the al-Shaheed monument appeared on the reverse face of the 1986 Iraqi 25 dinar bill (pictured).