17th of Ramadan Mosque

The foundation stone was laid during the reign of King Ghazi of Iraq but work did not complete until National Day of the Revolution on July 14, 1959, by Abd al-Karim Qasim and originally gave it the name "Mosque of the Martyr" but despite the opening, prayers did not take place in the mosque until December 6, 1963, during the era of Abd al-Salam Arif in which it was renamed to the "14th of Ramadan Mosque" in honor of the 1963 Ramadan Ba'ath Revolution. In 1959, Qasim inaugurated the first Monument of the Unknown Soldier in front of the mosque in Firdaus Square, and to be a shrine for senior political figures who would visit Iraq and lay wreaths there, and with the fluctuations that affected the mosque with its various names, the square remained bearing the name of al-Firdaus, then the monument was demolished in 1959. 1981 and it was re-erected in another place and a statue of President Saddam Hussein was placed in its stead. During the US invasion of Iraq the statue was taken down and the mosque was renamed to its current name to commemorate the Battle of Badr. The square, along with the mosque, became a symbol of the end of an era and the beginning of a new Iraq, however, it also symbolized the chaos that would come after the invasion.[2][3][4]

A view of the mosque in al-Firdos Square in 2003.

The Mosque is considered important and is distinguished by its beautiful Islamic construction and style, and it is considered one of the ancient urban landmarks of Baghdad. The total area of the mosque is 5,000 square meters, and the mosque contains a large chapel that can accommodate more than 2,500 worshippers. Including a chapel for women, a room for administration and workers, and a garden around the sanctuary. It also contains a house dedicated to the imam and the preacher and a hall for holding religious events and mourning councils. It also holds a center that studies and helps memorize the Holy Quran that goes by the name of "Ahl al-Qur’an Center".[5]

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  Wall and ceiling decorations in the Mosque's chapel.
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  The inside of the dome.
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  The inside walls of the Mosque.
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  Ornate wooden door in the Mosque.
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  Facade of the 17th of Ramadan Mosque.
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  The Mosque in the background of the infamous toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue.

• Islam in Iraq
• List of mosques in Iraq
• List of mosques in Baghdad
• Firdos Square statue destruction