The former head of the Iraqi regime was famous for the many palaces he built in Baghdad and various governorates, one of which was in the ancient city of Babylon to imitate the famous historical king Nebuchadnezzar, as it was built in the Babylonian architectural style on top of an ancient hill. After the overthrow of the regime in 2003, the palace remained abandoned and was not used in any way.
The Al Aalem Al Jadeed correspondent toured the palace, observing the neglect it was subjected to, starting with its lack of lighting or electricity in general, all the way to scenes of vandalism on its walls and random graffiti, as well as the spread of waste in its corridors.
Entry to the palace is available to everyone, that is, to everyone who enters the ancient city, as there are no restrictions or points at its gate. It has been officially neglected, which has turned it into danger of extinction. This, according to specialists, is that the palace represents an investment opportunity and can be benefited from and turned into a tourist project, a museum, or a platform. To organize festivals and artistic performances.
Regarding this matter, the director of the Babylon Resort, Abdul Sattar Naji, said during an interview with Al Aalem Al Jadeed, “Before the ancient city of Babylon was included on the World Heritage List, Saddam’s palace was scheduled to be turned into a museum, especially since Babylon Governorate lacks a museum worthy of its history and its cultural heritage, and the Ministry of Culture had previously begun procedures to transform the presidential palace into an archaeological museum.”
He pointed out that “a delegation was formed headed by the head of the Antiquities Authority and a number of general directors in the ministry, and a meeting was held with the governor of Babylon to follow up on the requirements of the matter, but the change of governments in Babylon prevented the implementation of the project, as well as the failure to provide financial allocations for the rehabilitation of the palace and the Babylon tourist resort, in While such a project will bring an important financial resource to the governorate, several companies have come forward to rehabilitate the palace, but they were not serious.”
It is noteworthy that many of the palaces of symbols of the former regime in Baghdad and the governorates were used by senior officials and made them their homes, and many political parties and blocs made them their headquarters, while others were sold to officials and influential people at prices that do not equal their actual value.
After the year 2003, the American forces took the presidential palace in Babylon as their headquarters, and after they left it, the Babylon tourist resort and the palace were reopened to visitors, but no reconstruction was witnessed because those in charge of the governorate did not prioritize paying attention to cultural and recreational facilities.
In addition, economic expert Adnan Bahiya explained, during an interview with “Al Aalem Al Jadeed”, that “the building of the palace of the president of the former regime in Babylon, which is located in the tourist resort of Babylon and near the ruins of Babylon, is very large and can be rehabilitated to be a museum and palace of culture, or an Iraqi cultural forum.” For festivals and plastic arts performances, or to display the possessions of ancient Iraqi civilizations such as Babylonian, Akkadian, Sumerian, and the Hilla Mazidi civilization, or as a folkloric market for archaeological artifacts and others.”
Bahia adds, “There is an interesting experience in Basra, where the palace area was transformed into a beautiful tourist product, and one of the palaces was transformed into an Iraqi museum. I visited it a month ago and it was enjoyable.”
He points out that, “With the exception of the National Museum in Baghdad, there is no other museum worthy of attention, which requires reviving this palace to be an important cultural beacon in Babylon and the Middle Euphrates, and it is possible to refer it as an investment to finance itself through one of the investment companies.”
The expert continues, “This palace has the advantage of a panoramic view of the ancient city of Babylon and the Shatt al-Hilla due to its height, and the road leading to it is paved and clean, so it is necessary to present it as an investment opportunity in cooperation between the Investment Authority and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, away from the local government.”
In December 2011, local officials in Basra rejected a decision from the federal government to transform the presidential palace complex into guest houses for government officials, declaring the complex an investment opportunity to transform it into a tourist resort.
The Presidential Palaces Complex is in the Al-Baradiya area in the city of Basra. It includes four palaces, artificial lakes, and gardens, overlooking the Shatt Al-Arab. The British forces took it as a military base after 2003 for a period of four years. It was handed over to the Iraqi government in 2007, after which it was turned into a tourist resort for the people of the governorate.
For his part, civil activist Ahmed Al-Kinani believes, during an interview with Al Aalem Al Jadeed, that “if we want to talk about such monuments, we must address them in a different aspect because they represent a dark era in the history of Iraq. Therefore, preserving and restoring them is important because they will serve as an important landmark and witness to the extent of the tyranny of those who lived there, it is a clear message that these palaces and others do not last, regardless of their size and the magnitude of their construction.”
He explains, “The palace consists of four floors and includes many rooms on which are carved palm trees, the Hammurabi Stele, and various geometric shapes. This can be used as a cultural place in which cultural activities are held. Negligence is not limited to the government, but also the absence of popular awareness of the importance of such places and the necessity of preserving them and not destroying them and writing on its walls.”
