Saddam Tour: Explore Saddam’s palaces, hometown, monuments and the last remaining statue
Day 1: Baghdad
• Visit the century-old juice shop that serves refreshing raisin juice and which was visited by Iraqi kings and presidents, including Saddam Hussein. He came to the shop accompanied by King Hussein bin Talal and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during the Arab Summit held in 1990 in Baghdad.
• Pass through Victory Arch, two sets of enormous crossed swords that mark the entrance to the parade ground near the Green Zone. The hands holding the swords are modeled after Saddam Hussein’s.
• Marvel at the Martyr Monument, a blue split dome built as a memorial for the fallen Iraqi soldiers and officers during the eight-year war against Iran. It is one of the top highlights in Baghdad and was built by Saddam in 1983.
• Explore the grand al-Rahman Mosque, an unfinished structure, began construction in 1999 but was halted following the US-led invasion. One of two huge unfinished mosques in Baghdad and Mosul, ordered construction by Saddam.
• End at Firdos Square, where Saddam’s bronze statue was pulled down. It was erected in April 2002, a year before the fall of his regime, to mark his 65th birthday.
Day 2: Babylon
• On your second day, we will make a day trip to Babylon to explore the following:
• Explore Saddam’s abandoned palace and its grandeur. We will walk through its numerous rooms and halls and see the famed ceiling fresco in the throne room that tells Iraq’s history.
• See Saddam’s last remaining portrait-statue, put up in 1995, which didn’t fall despite attempts by the American military to demolish it.
• Saddam’s favorite palm tree near the ruins of Babylon.
• Stroll through the ancient ruins of Babylon.
• Head back to Baghdad.
Day 3: Tikrit
• On our last day, we will drive to Saddam’s hometown.
• To see Saddam Hussein’s huge palace complex in Tikrit, built in the 1990s.
• Pass from al-Auja village, where Saddam was born.
• Pass from the town where Saddam’s hiding place was found.
• Marvel at the Malwiya Minaret, a spiral tower built in 852 during the Abbasid era, on the way back to Baghdad.
The Tour includes:
Experienced tour guide with a deep interest in Iraq’s history.
Modern car and a private driver for transportation.
Airport Pick-up and Drop-off.
Special access to most of the mentioned sites in the itinerary.