Architectural, Cultural sights in Kuwait
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
A
Beit al-Badr
A traditional mud-built house, with heavy carved doors, Beit al-Badr was built between 1838 and 1848 and is one of the last examples of pre-oil residential architecture in the city. It is located alongside Sadu House.
reviewed
-
Replica 19th-century Dwellings
Situated just west of the dhow harbour, near the National Assembly Building in Old Kuwaiti Town, the houses in this complex of replica 19th-century dwellings gives a good idea of what Kuwait City would have looked like before the discovery of oil. Part of the complex is lived in, while the other part is given over to some of the city's best restaurants.
reviewed
-
B
Sadu House
Forming part of the National Museum complex, Sadu House is a cultural foundation dedicated to preserving Bedouin arts and crafts. It is also the best place in Kuwait to buy Bedouin goods, such as pillows (around KD5) and small bags (around KD7 to around KD15). The house is built of gypsum and coral, with fine decorations in the courtyard and an elegant use of light and space.
reviewed
-
C
Beit Dickson
A modest, white building with blue trim, Beit Dickson was the home of former British political agent Colonel Harold Dickson and his wife Violet whose love of and contribution to Kuwait is well documented.
Freya Stark spent most of March 1937 in the house and, while she adored Kuwait, she described the house as a 'big ugly box'. Nonetheless, a collection of photographs taken during Kuwait's British protectorate era; a replica museum of the Dixons' living quarters; and an archive of Kuwaiti-British relations that dates from the 19th century to the 1960s, when Kuwait was granted independence, make the museum an interesting place in which to spend an hour.
reviewed
-
D
House of Mirrors
For a quirky art-in-action experience, visit this small museum in a residential house in the suburbs of Qadisiya. Reputedly, 77 tons of mirror and 102 tons of white cement have been used in the creation of the mirror mosaics that spangle the entire house - both inside and out.
The creation of Lidia al-Qattan, the widow of Khalifa al-Qattan, a renowned Kuwaiti artist, the project was inspired by the decorating of an old piece of dining-room furniture and grew to incorporate epic scenes, as in the Room of the Universe (bedroom) and the Basin of the Sharks (hallway). Ring ahead to request a tour; you should bring a small gift in exchange for the hospitality you will no doubt…
reviewed
-
Arab Fund Building
Although not strictly open to the casual caller, the impressive Arab Fund Building, with a host of exceptionally beautiful rooms, is worth the trouble of gaining access. Call first to request an appointment and explain that you wish to see the building's interior and you'll be given a guided tour by one of the employees.
The gravity of the exterior belies the light and airy interior, designed upon Arabic architectural principles of integrity of space, decoration and function. The magnificent eight-storey atrium with wooden lattices, opening onto a transparent corridor or an exquisite hidden majlis (meeting room), is an exciting reinterpretation of a familiar theme.…
reviewed