Ashaar Baghdad

Ashaar Baghdad is a monument featuring a golden spherical structure adorned with distorted Arabic letters, suspended within a fountain installation approximately 5 meters tall. The composition uses reflective surfaces to catch light and bring the inscriptions to life.

In 2010, Baghdad's Mayor commissioned artist Mohammed Ghani Hikmat to create this monument as part of a series of four cultural installations across the city. The project marked an important moment in adding new public artworks to the urban landscape.

The monument displays text from a poem by Mustafa Jamal al Din celebrating Baghdad's resilience, blending Arabic calligraphy into contemporary sculptural design.

The monument is located at Al Dallal Square in the Al Karakh neighborhood and is easily accessible from the street. Visitors should know that the best viewing of details changes depending on the time of day and how light reflects off the surfaces.

The artwork was among the final major public projects of renowned sculptor Mohammed Ghani Hikmat and combines traditional hurufiyya design principles with modern architectural elements. This fusion of classical Arabic artistic tradition and contemporary style makes it a notable example of artistic innovation in the city.