Things to do in Kuwait
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Old Souq
True to its origins, Kuwait City has retained the old souq in all of its complex, bustling and convoluted glory in the city centre. Albeit partly housed now in a smart, modern building, complete with cubby-holes of lockable wooden shutters, it nonetheless exudes antique practices, from the sharp haggling over ribands of offal and tails of ox, to the quick-witted trading of olives and dates in the extensive food halls of Souq Marbarakia.
It's a wonderful place to idle a few hours, and indeed an entire lunch time could be spent sampling delicacies without ever setting foot in one of the numerous snack shops that line the outer rim of the souq. The souq also comprises the…
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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.…
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Al-Boom
Located in the hull of a boat, this inventive restaurant takes some beating - particularly as this isn't just any old boat; this is Mohammedi II, built in Culicut, India in 1979. A replica of the largest dhow ever built (Mohammedi I, 1915), it took three years to construct from teak wood and 2.5 tonnes of copper, and was completed with 8.8 tonnes of handmade iron nails.
Not that one spares much thought for the 35,000 days of labour that was invested in one of the most characterful cargo holds in the history of boat building: when ensconced in the curving hull, under a ship's lantern hung from the beams, the attention is much more carefully focused on the set-piece of…
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Aquarium
Housed in a fine, sail-shaped building on the corniche, the mesmerising aquarium is the largest in the Middle East. A sign of contentment, perhaps, turtles perch on the back of lazy crocodiles, hedgehogs mate, prickles notwithstanding, in the adjacent eco-display, and even the aquarium's guards have taken to humming Arabic love songs. The unique intertidal display, with waves washing in at eye level, is home to shoals of black-spotted sweetlips and the ingenious mudskipper.
But the most spectacular part of the display (with giant spider crabs at 3.8m leg to leg, a living reef and fluorescent jellyfish coming in at a close second) is undoubtedly the wraparound,…
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Burj Al-Hamam
This circular restaurant at the end of a pier is like a piece of punctuation along the corniche - but don't let the rather unattractive steel exterior put you off. This is a great place to sample delicious Middle Eastern fare in a thoroughly convivial atmosphere among loudly chatting local families.
There is an inner and outer core to the restaurant with 280 degrees open to the sea - that's if you can glimpse it above the heaps of primary-coloured cushions and through the haze of peach-flavoured sheesha (around KD3). Try the kheshkhash (spiced mince meat with onions and parsley) priced at a very reasonable price.
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Aqua Park
The centrally located Aqua Park is managed by the same people who run Messilah Water Village. Call first, as it is not always open.
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Tareq Rajab Museum
Housed in the basement of a large villa, this exquisite ethnographic museum should not be missed. It was assembled as a private collection of Islamic art by Kuwait's first minister of antiquities and his British wife. A pair of ornate doors from Cairo and Carl Haag's 19th-century painting of Lady Jane Digby el-Mesreb of Palmyra, who lived in tents in the winter and a Damascus villa in the summer, mark the entrance to an Aladdin's cave of beautiful items.
There are inlaid musical instruments, suspended in glass cabinets; Omani silver and Saudi gold jewellery; headdresses from the humble prayer cap to the Mongol helmet; costumes worn by princesses and by goatherds;…
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National Museum
Once the pride of Kuwait, this museum is still under restoration. The centrepiece of the museum, the Al-Sabah collection, was one of the most important collections of Islamic art in the world. During the Iraqi occupation, however, the exhibition halls were systematically looted, damaged or set fire to.
Following intense pressure from the UN, the majority of the museum's collection was eventually returned, but many pieces had been broken in transit, poorly stored and, some suggest, deliberately spoiled. Nonetheless, this beleaguered collection has since been displayed in London's British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York while waiting to be restored in…
reviewed
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Al-Qurain Martyrs' Museum
Located in the residential suburb of Qurain, a 20-minute taxi ride southeast of the city centre, this small museum is a memorial to a cell of young Kuwaiti patriots who tried to resist arrest in February 1991. Early in the morning, a minibus (the one that is still parked outside) drew up outside the house. When no-one answered the door, the Iraqis bombarded the house for hours with machine guns, bombs and eventually a tank.
Nine of those under siege were captured and tortured to death, while four hid in a roof space. General Schwarzkopf, who visited the house on 14 April 1994, commented that 'when I am in this house it makes me wish that we had come four days earlier then…
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Al-Hashemi Marine Museum
For proof that the Vikings made it to the Middle East, albeit only model ones, it's worth visiting this museum with its impressive collection of large, scaled-model dhows. A novel shop sells 21-piece knot boards (around KD25) and Gipsy Moth lanterns (around KD17) among other nautical souvenirs, such as barometers and sextants. You can even buy your own Nelson figurine, incomplete with one arm, at the bargain price of KD12.
On the wall of the museum is a certificate, dated 2002, from the Guinness World Records announcing that Al-Hashemi II, the huge and unmissable wooden dhow adjacent to the museum, is the largest wooden boat on earth, measuring a world record-breaking…
reviewed
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Scientific Centre
With time to do nothing else, it would be hard to beat a trip to the excellent Scientific Centre. Housed in a fine, sail-shaped building on the corniche, the centre's mesmerising aquarium is the largest in the Middle East.
The IMAX cinema includes a sensitive feature entitled Fires of Kuwait, charting the post-invasion cleanup. Discovery Place is an interactive learning centre for children, who can make their own sand dunes or roll a piece of road. There is a pleasant dhow harbour, where the Fateh al-Khair, the last surviving dhow of the pre-oil era, is moored.Admission prices vary, depending on which parts of the centre are visited. Opt, for buses 15, 17, 24, 34 and 200,…
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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…
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Kuwait Towers
Kuwait's most famous landmark, the Kuwait Towers, with their distinctive green 'sequins', are worth a visit for the prospect of sea and city that they afford. Designed by a Swedish architectural firm and opened in 1979, the largest of the three towers rises to a height of 187m, and house a two-level revolving observation deck, gift shop and café. The lower globe on the largest tower stores around one million gallons of water.
The middle tower is also used for water storage, while the smallest tower is used to light up the other two. A collection of photographs show how the so-called 'barbarian invaders' tried to destroy the symbol of Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion.
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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.
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Corniche
Comprising over 10km of winding paths, parks and beaches on Arabian Gulf St (sometimes referred to locally as Gulf Rd), the corniche is marked at its southern end by the Scientific Center and at its northernmost point by the Kuwait Towers. Stop off at any one of the many beaches, restaurants or coffeehouses to watch a desert sunset, or, on hot summer evenings, enjoy being part of the throng of people flocking to the sea to catch the breeze.
The private residences, some of which belong to the ruling family, light up the opposite side of the corniche spectacularly at night.
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Friday Market (Souq al-Jum'a)
For a plastic pot plant, a second-hand dress, an Afghan coat or a smuggled antique from Iran, this enormous open-air, weekly market is more than a shopping extravaganza - it offers an insight into contemporary Kuwaiti culture and cross-border relations.
Five minutes sitting in the shade of sun-fading textiles and sipping on the good-natured coffee of a friendly vendor delivers more in the way of insight into the complex web of Kuwaiti affairs, domestic and international, than one could absorb in a month of lectures on Arabic culture. Bring a hat and water in summer.
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Ayam Zamar
Perched in an eyrie high in the atrium of the lively and 'happening' Crowne Plaza Hotel, this whimsical Lebanese restaurant is spread over a number of split levels, taxing the dexterity of the waiters who have to climb dozens of steps per serving. Somehow they still manage to bring the mezze steaming hot and crispy from the kitchens, and deliver the devilled chicken livers with truly Arabian grace and hospitality. It's little surprising that it's a favourite with Gulf nationals and packed on Fridays a comprehensive Arabian brunch is on offer.
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Kuwait Little Theatre
Arabic theatre has enjoyed a long history in Kuwait, dating back to 1922 when the first amateur plays were performed, and are highly popular with Arab audiences. Two groups perform in English. The Kuwait Players began in 1952 and stage about 10:00bitious productions per year from pantomime to Shakespeare. The other company is Kuwait Little Theatre, which has been performing comedies and dramas in its own venue in Al-Ahmadi since 1948.
For performance times and venues, check What's On listings in the local papers.
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Popular Traditional Museum
Forming part of the National Museum complex, the quaint Popular Traditional Museum - variously described as Heritage Museum and Culture Museum - is in Building 2, in the rear of the museum complex. It illustrates daily life in pre-oil Kuwait through a diorama of full-sized figures going about their various businesses - be sure to see the bead maker and what the museum booklet describes as the 'men's over-robe tailor'.
Buses 12 and 16 (departing from the main bus station) stop a couple of blocks from the museum.
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Grand Mosque
Also known as Masjed Al-Kabir, and located opposite Sief Palace, the Grand Mosque was opened in 1986 and cost around KD14 million to construct. The largest of the city's 800 mosques, it boasts Kuwait's highest minaret (74m) and can accommodate up to 5000 worshippers in the main hall, with room for another 7000 in the courtyard. Prebooked tours are possible between 09:00 and 16:00 Saturday to Wednesday and it is respectful to dress modestly covering arms and legs.
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Beit 7
With tables tucked around the interior courtyard of this old coral-and-gypsum house, dating from 1949 and included on the government's list of heritage sites, this restaurant, with its beaded lanterns, palm fans and wicker chairs, has retained the feeling of house and home. It serves international fare and is a firm favourite with the expat community. Try the herb-crusted lamb chops (around KD7) and the naughty date pudding.
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Green Island
For activities ranging from strolling in the gardens, swimming in a lagoon, cycling or listening to an impromptu concert, this artificial island, joined to the mainland by a pedestrian causeway, houses a 700-seat amphitheatre, restaurants, and a game park for children. On 25 February (National Day) and 26 February (Liberation Day), Green Island becomes the launching pad for firework displays.
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Cinemas
Considering its size, Kuwait has an overwhelming number of cinemas, which unfortunately show the same films (usually heavily edited to exclude kissing, nudity and sex - violence, however, is left uncensored). The more popular and modern of the cinemas are at Sharq Souq and in the Al-Fanar Shopping Complex. Admission to all films costs around KD3. Call 80 3456 for What's On and Where.
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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.
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Yaum Al-Bahhar Village Craft Workshops
With traditional wind-tower architecture, this small area of craft workshops is part of a development along the coast that includes walking paths and fountains. The workshops are open at variable times and some of the items are for sale. Not-for-the-faint-hearted crafts include stuffed bustard, an endangered bird, and shell decorations that you wouldn't wish on your enemy.
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