This apparently abandoned building was enormous and quite striking looking. Seems like I read about it someplace and that it's famous for something (maybe just for being a gigantic apartment building), but I can't find the reference offhand. It was situated in a totally different part of Balad from all the previous pictures, near the Sharif Gate. Our driver said there had been a festival the week before and thought the black curtains were left over from that (although I can't imagine what they were used for).

Another view of the whole thing: