Iraqi sculptor The sculptor who created many of Baghdad's most famous landmarks Muhammad Ghani Hikmat led the effort to recover works of art looted from the National Museum of Iraq after the US-led invasion of his country in 2003. Middle Eastern fables 'One thousand and one Nights' inspired Ghani in the 1960s and 70s to create many sculptures including 'Kahramana' depicting a woman pouring oil on thieves hiding in jars, and statues of the two main characters King Shahriyar and Queen Scheherazade. He had a role in creating one of Baghdad's most famous sculptures, the crossed-sword arches. When the arches were dedicated, in 1989, Saddam Hussein rode a white horse through them. The arches were the symbol of Iraq's might during its war with Iran. Born in the Kadumiya neighbourhood of Baghdad, Muhammad Ghani Hikmat graduated from Iraq's Fine Arts Institute in 1953 and from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome four years later. He passed away in Jordan, where he had gone for medical treatment.