As-Salam Palace, Palace complex in Baghdad, Iraq
As-Salam Palace spans approximately 93,000 square meters (about 23 acres) and features six floors with decorated walls and ceilings displaying hand-carved floral motifs throughout its marble and granite interiors.
Constructed between the early 1990s and September 1999 on the site of the former Republican Guard Headquarters destroyed during Desert Storm, the palace served as a residence for Saddam Hussein and visiting foreign dignitaries.
The palace's design incorporates traditional Iraqi architectural elements including arched portals, extensive sandstone use, and Islamic motifs that blend Middle Eastern influences with a monumental scale intended to display governmental authority.
Following the 2003 invasion, coalition forces occupied the palace as Camp Prosperity, housing between 2,500 and 3,000 personnel before the Iraqi government reassumed control of the facility in 2012 for administrative purposes.
Beneath the palace lies a network of concrete tunnels connecting various government facilities and Baghdad International Airport, though many sections have been flooded and sealed since the invasion.
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