President Saddam Hussein Green Palace, cradled in the mountains North of Duhok, Iraq Kurdistan, Feb 1993
Image details
Contributor:
Carol Lee / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
A32XD9File size:
51.3 MB (2.8 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
5208 x 3443 px | 44.1 x 29.2 cm | 17.4 x 11.5 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
1993Location:
Duhok, Iraq KurdistanMore information:
“The owner of everything gives the opportunity of owning to whom he wants, takes that opportunity from whom he wants, respects who he wants, revenges who he wants and is able to do as he wants, ” inscribed on the portal over the grand entrance to Saddam Hussein's Red palace, one of three palaces built in the mountains North of Dahok. It took 2, 000 men seven months to build the three stately mansions, as well as the satellite buildings where less important guests would stay. Flags bearing sculls and crossbones line the route to the mountain resort, warning of the danger of land mines planted by the Iraqi troops in the area. In side the yellow-bricked walls of the resort Italian influence is strong. Marble, which was specially imported from Italy to carpet the floors, lies shattered on the ground. Only the sweeping marble staircase remains somewhat intact. Graffiti, some in broken English, curse Saddam's regime and all who condone it. Slogans supporting Kurdish leaders are scrawled all over the building. Only the ceilings and ornate plaques holding quotations from the Koran were spared when the Kurdish community ransacked the palaces in the aftermath of the gulf war. Stories of what life was like within the palaces are told and retold to convey just how decadent the Iraqi leader could be. A balcony overlooks the snow-covered courtyard and a reservoir, which locals claim was heated so that the Iraqi president could bathe in comfort. There were up to 70 similar palaces scattered around Iraq and no one knew which one Saddam might choose to stay in until he actually arrived. Every evening, a banquet was prepared for over 100 guests, just in case he paid the area a visit. If he didn't, the food was dumped in nearby pits. The flag of the Kurdish Democratic Party now flies defiantly over the domed roofs of the three showpieces. Peshmerga – Kurdish fighters – patrol the grounds, protecting what is left of the buildings, which they hope their leaders in an autonomous