Where: Baghdad, Iraq

Erected: 1990

The Hands of Victory monument (or the Swords of Qadisiyyah), pays homage to the ego of Saddam Hussein, who commissioned the piece to commemorate his (supposedly) victorious role in the 'eight-year war' with Iran in the 1980s.

When the sculpture was completed in 1990, Saddam rode underneath it on a white horse. Shortly afterwards, he invaded Kuwait - the first step along the road to his downfall. Plans to destroy the monument have been put on hold to prevent inflaming tensions between the Shia and Sunni Muslims in the country.