This is the Martyr's Memorial, or Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as seen from the sunflower and vegetable patch the soldiers that guard the place have sown. (I assume it was them - ?) Its a bizarre, UFO-shaped monstrosity that is very much not out of place in Baghdad. Getting out of a space or time-ship is the first sensation one has when entering the Middle-East. Really, someone needs to write a book (or a series of books) about these Arab potentates and their garrish and confused sense of borrowed styles. I'm sure the place left a better impression before it was looted clean.
This is one of the works of art atop it, viewable in the previous picture. I believe its meant to evoke the Tower of Ur, an ancient Babylonian landmark, if I've got the place correct.
This is a view inside the space-ship. This piece beneath space-ship hatch represents the blood and sacrifice of the soldiers, if thats what I remember the guards telling us. It consists of identical cut sheets of aluminum, terraced or shifted to one side or the other, atop red plexiglass. Same on all four sides.
This is a time-delayed exposure, which accounts for the messiness. There is NO LIGHT down inside the Space-ship, and these faux-swords mounted to the center support, are all that remains un-looted apart from some various and sundry broken display cases. I couldn't validate what used to be in the display cases. They were the size and shape of a man . . . . . Hey! - - - I wouldn't put it past 'em!
The view as we strolled back down the gang-plank to the top. Lt. Olsen and CPT Boulais in foreground.
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