The Unknown Soldier's Monument represents a traditional shield (dira'a) dropping from the dying grasp of an Iraqi warrior.

[1] It was part of a broader Ba'athist government program to build a number of public works that would help instil a sense of national pride, and at the same time immortalise Saddam Hussein's reputation as a powerful leader.

[4] The original concept was the work of Iraqi sculptor, Khaled al-Rahal,[5] with the architectural designs developed by the Italian architect, Marcello D'Olivo.

The roof is covered with a copper sheet and the soffit displays V-shaped panels of stainless steel and Murano glass.

Inside the layers of metal are sheets of red acrylic, said to represent the blood of the slain Iraqi soldiers.

It was designed by Iraqi architect, Rifat Chadirji, and was a modern adaption of the arch of Ctesiphon in the ancient capital of the Parthian Empire.

[11] Described as a simple, symbolic, modernist structure, a comparison between the original and its later replacement illustrates the increasing level of abstraction and sophistication in Iraqi art during the period.