Al-Qurain House (Martyr's House)
Photo taken from 360Dewan.com
The site of a bloody battle between the Kuwaitis and the Iraqis just before Liberation, Al-Qurain House is now a museum dedicated to those who laid their lives. A mounted Iraqi tank at the Jahra Gate roundabout at the end of Fahd Al-Salem Street is a reminder of the folly of war. Al-Qurain House is known to be the "symbol of Kuwaiti resistance." It now houses a museum built to commemorate all those who lost their lives in that battle. So if you're interested in reliving the horror of the battle and part of Kuwait's historical past, a visit to this fascinating museum is recommended! 360Dewan blog has a great post with more information regarding this historical site HERE.
Directions: Road 208 Qurain Housing Area
Contact: 5543-0343
Directions: Road 208 Qurain Housing Area
Contact: 5543-0343
Dickson House
Standing opposite Seif Palace, Dickson House, home of the first British political envoy, stands as a symbol of the strong political ties between Kuwait and Britain. Built in the early 1900s, the house was used as the headquarters of successive British political envoys appointed to Kuwait, beginning with Colonel Knox in 1904, with the last and arguably the best known resident being Colonel Harold Dickson who left it in 1935 to work in the new headquarters at the British Embassy. After retiring, Colonel Dickson and his wife Lady Violet went back to live in the house. The colonel passed away in 1959 and his wife, known to Kuwaitis as Umm Saud, remained living there until the 1990 invasion of Kuwait when she was evacuated to Britain, where she died shortly afterwards. Dickson House is now the property of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, which has transformed it into a cultural center. The house was originally owned by a Kuwaiti merchant, a simple house comprising two floors overlooking the sea, with walls made of mud as was the case with all houses constructed here at the time. One of the most attractive features of the house was the elevated porch, which created relative coolness in rooms and reduced the summer heat. The second floor comprises ten rooms, and the house has three gates. The house was traditional in design and was later renovated by the British to take on a more colonial appearance. The largest amount of reconstruction work occurred in 1959 when the west wing collapsed, and this was an opportunity to expand several rooms in that area.
Location: Opposite the dhow harbor in Sharq & East of Seif Palace on the Gulf Road
*Taken from Kuwait Times/KUNA
Location: Opposite the dhow harbor in Sharq & East of Seif Palace on the Gulf Road
*Taken from Kuwait Times/KUNA
Failaka Island Heritage Village
*Info via SafirHotels.com
The vision for Failaka Heritage Village and the Palace of Sheikh Abdullah Al Salam, a previous ruler of Kuwait commenced in 2002 under the auspices of the then Emir of Kuwait H.H. Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah. The above task was further initiated by Masharee Al Khair Establishment a Kuwait charity, who placed the following message on the wall of the reception building:
"Our heritage was the greatest achievement of our ancestors, and our fathers kept it for us, we implant this heritage in the minds of our children, our heritage is a river full of light which we take continuously to guide us to the good, to the prosperity in the future. We owe a lot to our great heritage, which was the reason for what we have accomplished and achieved."
His financial and moral support was a magnificent motive to keep the heritage area with all its contents and its environmental surroundings. So we have restored and renovated the whole area, just to keep the heritage of our ancestors and fathers, to reflect His Highnesses wish to give the new generation an idea of this great heritage, and from its revenue, the charity is funding
Accomodations: Fifty Heritage Houses, originally built sixty years ago, now fully restored and furnished with satellite television and ensuite facilities. Ikaros Hotel, coverted from the old police garrison to a four star standard, comprising 24 rooms. Book your room HERE.
Food & Beverage: Dine in one of the restaurants, or partake of the delights of their Coffee Shop.
Recreational facilities at the Heritage Village include: a zoo, swimming pools, Wanasa Beach, camel rides, bouncy castles, Failaka Stables, Failaka Lake (with pedal boats & kayaks), mini golf, a riding center for the disabled, desert buggy rentals, and much more!
HOW TO GET TO THE ISLAND
Failaka Heritage Village operate their own high speed, deluxe catamarans; “Bint Al Khair” which covers the voyage on 35 minutes and carries 150 passengers. And “Umm Al Khair” which covers the voyage in 60 minutes and carries 100 passengers.
FailakaHeritageVillage.com
"Our heritage was the greatest achievement of our ancestors, and our fathers kept it for us, we implant this heritage in the minds of our children, our heritage is a river full of light which we take continuously to guide us to the good, to the prosperity in the future. We owe a lot to our great heritage, which was the reason for what we have accomplished and achieved."
His financial and moral support was a magnificent motive to keep the heritage area with all its contents and its environmental surroundings. So we have restored and renovated the whole area, just to keep the heritage of our ancestors and fathers, to reflect His Highnesses wish to give the new generation an idea of this great heritage, and from its revenue, the charity is funding
Accomodations: Fifty Heritage Houses, originally built sixty years ago, now fully restored and furnished with satellite television and ensuite facilities. Ikaros Hotel, coverted from the old police garrison to a four star standard, comprising 24 rooms. Book your room HERE.
Food & Beverage: Dine in one of the restaurants, or partake of the delights of their Coffee Shop.
Recreational facilities at the Heritage Village include: a zoo, swimming pools, Wanasa Beach, camel rides, bouncy castles, Failaka Stables, Failaka Lake (with pedal boats & kayaks), mini golf, a riding center for the disabled, desert buggy rentals, and much more!
HOW TO GET TO THE ISLAND
Failaka Heritage Village operate their own high speed, deluxe catamarans; “Bint Al Khair” which covers the voyage on 35 minutes and carries 150 passengers. And “Umm Al Khair” which covers the voyage in 60 minutes and carries 100 passengers.
FailakaHeritageVillage.com
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Kuwait Towers
The Kuwait Towers are three towers of reinforced concrete in Kuwait City. The main tower is 187 metres high and serves as a restaurant & water tower. It also has a Viewing Sphere which rises to 123 meters above sea level and completes a full turn every 30 minutes. The second tower is 145.8 metres high and serves as a water tower. The third tower houses equipment to control the flow of electricity and illuminates the two larger towers. The towers hold 4,500 cubic meters of water. The towers were designed by Sune Lindström and Malene Björn and were built by Energoprojekt, a company from Belgrade, Yugoslavia. They opened to the public in March of 1979. The towers were heavily damaged by the Iraqis during their occupation of Kuwait from 1990 to 1991. In 1991, after the liberation of Kuwait City during the First Gulf War, Vic Clarke of Nottingham UK abseiled the Kuwait Water Towers during structural surveys. Mr. Clarke was introduced into Kuwait by Mr. Michael Stewart, of the Stewart Group International, also from Nottingham UK. There was substantial shell and bullet damage to the towers' exteriors. The interior damage was mainly to electrical gear, mostly lift equipment. Some of the large triangular glazed panels shown in the photograph were also damaged by shell fire.
Tour Guides Grand Mosque
You are welcome to visit one of the most prominent monuments of Kuwait; The Grand Mosque of Kuwait to have a close look at the beauty and charm of Islamic architecture and Arabic calligraphy which are clearly manifested within such a breathtaking place. Our staff would be delighted to take you on a guided tour inside the mosque explaining the exquisite details of the mosque. The Grand Mosque is located in Kuwait City on the Arabian Gulf Street opposite to Al-Sief Palace.
Visit programme:
-Reception.
-A guided tour inside the main prayer hall & The Emir’s Hall
-Filling in a visit evaluation form.
Days/Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Email: [email protected] (Please send an e-mail prior to your visit with the number of visitors)
Phone: 2241-8447\8 (Extensions (242)-(240)-(203)
Official website of the mosque:
TheGrandMosque.net
Visit programme:
-Reception.
-A guided tour inside the main prayer hall & The Emir’s Hall
-Filling in a visit evaluation form.
Days/Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Email: [email protected] (Please send an e-mail prior to your visit with the number of visitors)
Phone: 2241-8447\8 (Extensions (242)-(240)-(203)
Official website of the mosque:
TheGrandMosque.net