Iraqi Dar Salam Lazurdi Opens Downtown With Dazzling Ishtar Gate Mural

Downtown's new Iraqi restaurant Dar Salam Lazurdi is open for business, and the restaurant went all out to create a Middle Eastern atmosphere. In the vaulted-ceiling dining room, owners Ghaith and Tiffany Sahib combine bejeweled mirrors, gilded swords, evil eyes, and even, authentic relics with the same ambition as they put into their Middle Eastern cocktail menu.

But what really sets the tone are the vibrant murals of the famous Gate of Ishtar and its hanging gardens, painted by Pablo Garcia. The Gate of Ishtar, now housed in a Berlin museum, is bright blue, and Dar Salam Lazurdi's dining room not only shares a recreation, it has an actual chunk of the original gate. "My brother is a geologist," explained owner and chef Ghaith, who proudly displays the relic beside a plaque that tells the Gate of Ishtar story.

Here's a photo of the original Gate of Ishtar, now in Berlin, to compare with the Dar Salam Lazurdi murals.

(Photo credit: Bamman/Shutterstock)

Pretty accurate, no?

The 1,800 square foot Dar Salam Lazurdi also has a bar area, a semi-private private dining room, and a stage for music and belly dancing performances.