#你见过最奢侈的生活能奢侈到什么程度 #
During Saddam's reign, most Iraqis lived frugally, especially during past U.N. sanctions. But Saddam Hussein, his family and close associates lived like kings, living in a huge palace compound.
Passing through huge concrete and iron gates, ahead is a wide avenue that passes large office buildings, expansive parks, luxurious villas surrounded by rose gardens and manicured hedges. It looks like an upscale neighborhood of the rich, a world for Saddam Hussein's family and loyal associates.
The compound covers an area of about 12 square kilometers. Its main feature is a wide white stone building sitting behind an iron gate, topped by three seven-meter-tall busts of Saddam Hussein, wearing the helmet of the legendary warrior Sarahuddin.
Passing through a stone arch, there is an expansive park, another complex of more than a dozen buildings that is the playground of his son Uday.