1. Al-Faw Presidential Palace
The Al Faw Presidential Palace is known by many names. It has also been called:
The Presidential Palace North
The Qasr Al-Faw Palace
The water palace
The Abu Ghurayb Presidential Palace.
Al-Faw is one of 8 presidential palaces that were used for hunting and recreation by Baathist party members, Saddam Hussein and his family. Both sons, U’day and Qu’say had villas on the artificial lake. Saddam himself only visited this palace a total of 6 to 8 times.
Visitors walking into the palace are greeted with the words “Peace be to the fighters of the Al-Faw Peninsula” which are spelled out above the entrance way.
There were houseboats to move them around; often they would cruise the lake and take tea at one of the artificial islands. Several of the boats can be seen housed in a nearby metal roofed boathouse. The palace was built to commemorate the sacrifices made by the Iraqi Army in regaining the Al-Faw peninsula, located in southern Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War of

2. There were houseboats to move them around; often they would cruise the lake and take tea at one of the artificial islands. Several of the boats can be seen housed in a nearby metal roofed boathouse .
The First Battle of Al-Faw was fought on February 11, It was a battle of the Iran-Iraq War. The Iranians launched a surprise attack on 09 Feb 1986 across the Shatt al-Arab against the Iraqi troops defending the Al-Faw Peninsula and oil refinery. The Iraqi units in charge of the defenses were mostly made up of poorly-trained Iraqi Popular Army conscripts that collapsed when they were suddenly attacked by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces.
The Second Battle of Al-Faw was fought on April 17, After their defeat at the First Battle of Al-Faw two years earlier, the newly restructured Iraqi Army conducted a major operation to clear the Iranians out of the peninsula. The Iraqis concentrated well over 100,000 troops from the battle-hardened Republican Guard versus 15,000 second-rate Iranian Basij volunteers. By employing the use of massive artillery barrages, air bombardments, and extensive amounts of chemical weapons, the Iraqis eventually expelled the Iranians from Al-Faw within 35 hours, with much of their equipment captured intact.
The palace is surrounded by a lake and villa complex. The lakes are filled with fish such as the Asian stinging catfish and the Tigris Salmon, a type of carp

3. . Recently a Tigris Salmon measuring 5 feet 10 ½ inches was pulled from these waters. It was estimated to be 105 lbs.

4. Turtles and eels are also visible
Turtles and eels are also visible. The rumors that the lake contained bodies of victims of Hussein have not been proven – nor has the lake been drained to find out. The “Saddam Bass” that are seen in the lake aren't bass at all but asp (Aspius vorax), a freshwater fish not to be confused with the venomous snake of the same name. Feeding the carp is a popular past time for many soldiers. An interesting side note is that some locals consider carp to be sacred due to their association with the birthplace of Abraham.

5. The building and construction of the Al-Faw palace was started in 1989 and completed just prior to Desert Storm. It was declared off limits to UN Arms inspectors in 1998 – one of the events which brought Iraq under intense scrutiny by the US.
The area was surrounded by date palm groves and wheat fields which have since been removed for living areas such as Dodge City North and Camp Liberty.
War Comes to the Al Faw Palace
The palace was damaged in 2003 during the assault on Baghdad. A utility bridge was destroyed by two – 2,000lb bombs dropped by the US Air Force. It was believed that an escape tunnel had been built under the bridge.
The missiles were targeting what planners believed to be one of Saddam’s offices when it hit the bridge. In addition to dropping the bridge, the bombs severed the water and gas lines that fed into the palace.
There were four rooms resembling prison cells located in the basement near the bridge. During a search of the rooms in the basement, soldiers from the 3RD Infantry Division discovered what appeared to be gold bars, but after testing they proved to be made of lead.

6. Roof Top Bomb Damage
A bomb was also dropped on the roof of the palace. It penetrated the roof but did not do significant damage to the palace. Once the U.S. occupied the palace, the damage to the roof was repaired & a new rubberized roof coating installed.

7. Main Ball Room in the Palace after the attacks

8. PALACE EXTERIOR PHOTOS Green Medallion over the front entrance says: “Al-Faw Palace”

9. Saddam Hussein’s initials are on every pillar

10. The inscription on the Right Side of the Entrance Door translates to: Peace on Faw on its defense Peace on its land and its name Peace on the honorable ones Peace on the sacrificial blood
INSIDE THE PALACE
The palace is 450,000 sq. ft with 62 rooms and 29 bathrooms. The bathrooms are elaborate rooms with gilded metal work and marble façades. The palace is made primarily of marble, glass, wood, plastic and brass. Many of the banisters are crystallized gypsum and not carved marble.
The Arabic script is made to look like gold but is actually gilded brass. The marble and locks are Italian. Many of the glass pieces you see are actually plastic or plastic and intermittent glass.
Most Iraqi palace architects were trained in Europe, which explains why portions of the palace are a combination of European and Arab influences. Indeed, Al-Faw is a unique combination of European influence and Iraqi construction methods—some of which have been questioned by Americans with construction backgrounds.

11. There is evidence that one of Hussein’s palace architects was executed for bragging too much to Iraqi agents about his work. It is not certain if this architect designed and built the palace of Al-Faw.
The chandelier is the focal point of the palace rotunda, it boasts 256 lights. At one time it was be lowered or raised by use of a hand crank. A catwalk is located above the chandelier and allows access to the inside of the chandelier. It looks like solid glass but is in fact an intricate lattice work of glass and plastic. Around the chandelier are large circular inscriptions. The top inscription in circles reads “GOD IS GREAT!” The next two levels of circles are Saddam Hussein’s initials.
The artwork in the ceiling surrounding the rotunda on the first floor is actually Moroccan-formed plaster cast frescos secured to the ceiling. The small circle, pressed into the fresco work links the initials of Saddam and the ancient battle of al Qadisiyyah.

12. Saddam Hussein’s initials are found throughout Al-Faw Palace
The Battle of Qadisiyyah was fought over a period of four days in November of 636A.D. It was the decisive engagement between the Arab Muslim army and the Sassanid Persian army during the first period of Muslim expansion which resulted in Iraq being annexed by the Rashidun Caliphate. The battlefield itself is located southwest of Hillah and Kufah. During the battle the Arab Muslims captured the famed Flag of Kaveh which was the jewel incrusted royal standard for the Sassanid Empire. It was captured upon the death of the Sassanid Commander in Chief, Rustam.

13. The symbol for the Battle of Qadisiyyah is also found throughout the palace
The photo opportunity for every visitor to the palace involves the throne given to Saddam by Yasser Arafat. The emblem in middle is a representation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem which is also known as the Dome of the Rock. The inlay on the sides says “Jerusalem is ours” and on the top it says “Victory from God and conquest is soon” The book at the top has a verse from a chapter of the Koran. The black & white pattern inlay is copied from the keffiyeh that Chairman Arafat always wore.
The large copper pot to the right in the picture is representative of the traditional coffee pots that are used to serve guests. The real ones are normally the size of a tea pot

14. The photo opportunity for every visitor to the palace involves the throne given to Saddam by Yasser Arafat. The emblem in middle is a representation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem which is also known as the Dome of the Rock. The inlay on the sides says “Jerusalem is ours” and on the top it says “Victory from God and conquest is soon” The book at the top has a verse from a chapter of the Koran. The black & white pattern inlay is copied from the keffiyeh that Chairman Arafat always wore.
The large copper pot to the right in the picture is representative of the traditional coffee pots that are used to serve guests. The real ones are normally the size of a tea pot
Other Facts
The Al-Faw was a “hunting lodge palace” which housed eight suites on the three floors and that there were horse stables, date groves, a zoo, pools, cinema, walking paths and much more. Today the occasional bobcat or deer which used to inhabit the grounds appears, but they are now a rarity.
In 2003 units of the Special Republican Guards, regarded as particularly loyal to Saddam Hussein, were billeted in a building in what is known as Area 51 on Victory Base Complex. MND-C currently occupies that building. The 8th Iraqi Battalion (Security) headquarters were located at Baghdad International Airport from the Abu-Ghraib side near the prefabricated residences of airport employees formerly used to house a French company (now known as the French Village) that supervised the building of the airport, near Al-Faris Al-Arabi Club. The 8th Battalion was tasked with protecting the entrances to the airport from the Airport Highway and from the Abu-Ghraib road.

15. The light fixtures all say “God will grant us Victory.”
Al-Faw palace was home of Cobra Base which was the headquarters of Combined Joint Task Force-7 (CJTF-7). With the establishment of Multi-National Force-Iraq and Multi-National Corps-Iraq in May of 2004, the palace became the center point for command and control in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Al-Faw palace continues to serve as the Headquarters for both MNF-I and MNC-I. It has hosted visits from political figures such as Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to celebrities such as Toby Keith and Charlie Daniels. Every month it hosts numerous conferences and meeting that bring together the individuals that are planning the future. No matter what that future brings for Coalition Forces in Iraq, the Al-Faw palace will continue to play a key role.
It takes a 40 man work crew between 5 and 6 hours to clean the entire palace.

16. The inlay in all major doors spells Al-Faw

17. The white marble inscription that circles the foyer proclaims: “God will make Saddam Victorious”
Inside the foyer on the left hand side as you enter is an inscription on the wall.

18. Faw palace Named by the name which its fire dignifies And not from the exalted ground from which they were taken Called Faw palace after the hearts in it (remainder missing)
The palace’s interior walls are covered with numerous quotes. Many contain the wit and wisdom of Saddam Hussein. This one is on the third floor down from the Shatt al-Arab balcony.

19. Your tongue is your place, so don’t allow it to make more promises than you can keep”
It can be paraphrased as “Don’t let your mouth write checks your body can’t cash.

20. Another prominent quote is located just off the main foyer on the first floor. In the name of God the Merciful the Compassionate

21. From the third floor bridge on the front side of the palace you can see the Perfume Palace and the unfinished Victory over America/Victory over Iran palace on Camp Slayer as well as all the way to Baghdad International Airport. Also visible from the Al-Faw Palace is the spot where posthumous Medal of Honor recipient SFC Paul Smith fought his last battle on April 4, 2003.
On the bridge that is on the back side of the palace, on a clear day you can see into downtown Baghdad. The large object that looms in the far distance is the unfinished Ar-Rahman Mosque.

23. The current Sergeant Major of the Army, SMA Kenneth Preston
The current Sergeant Major of the Army, SMA Kenneth Preston. He is the top enlisted Soldier in the Army shaking hands with Jeremy Malchow, Staff Sergeant E-6 from Maple Grove, MN

24. Palace