15 THINGS TO DO IN KUWAIT

Things to Do in Kuwait

Kuwait is now a peaceful country full of hope and aspirations. It was once a subject of war but as a nation, they have liberated themselves from their attackers. Much of the country’s landmarks have been destroyed and the few remaining sights to see for those who are brave enough to travel the country are listed in this Kuwait travel guide. Here are 15 places to visit, attractions to explore, and things to do in Kuwait.

1. Kuwait Towers

The most visited attraction in the country is the Kuwait Towers. It was designed by a Danish architect named Malene Bjørn with a height of 187 meters for the main tower. The towers were inaugurated in 1979 and are a set of five water towers altogether. It has a lower sphere where it holds a water tank with a capacity of 4,500 cubic meters or 1.2 M gallons. The attraction is pleasing to the eyes and a lot of tourists take photos with it as the background.

2. Grand Mosque

Kuwait is a Muslim-dominated nation with about 60% Sunni-affiliated Muslims and 40% Shia-practicing Islam believers. Most of them pray five times a day at the Grand Mosque, Kuwait’s biggest Islamic structure at 20,000 square meters. It can hold at most 11,000 worshippers at a time with a separate section for praying women. The mosque was completed in 1986 and an estimated $48.6 M US dollar was spent to finish the religious structure. It has 26 domes and 1 minaret. One of the things to do in Kuwait is to visit the Grand Mosque.

3. Al Hamra Tower

The Al Hamra Tower is considered a skyscraper in Kuwait which was awarded several times for its architectural design. It received a Bronze Unbuilt Project award, its first award in 2007 from Miami Architectural Bienal. The latest recognition it received was from Cityscape in 2010 – Commercial / Mixed Use Built.

The tower is the tallest structure in the country at 414 meters. It has 80 floors in total, a shopping mall and commercial offices. The tower was opened in 2011 and the Al Hamra Real Estate Company spent $500M US dollars for its completion.

4. Kuwait Zoo

The Kuwait Zoo in Omariya, Kuwait is 400 hectares or 900 acres big all in all. It has four sections namely the Animal section, the Cultural Department, the Services and Maintenance office with Life Sciences division and it also has its own veterinary clinic. Tourists and residents of Kuwait visit the zoo especially the Animal section. They check out the Nile crocodile, the Reptile House with a huge boa constrictor inside, an Asiatic Black Bear, a Korean Water Deer and big cats like the cheetah, tiger and lion.

5. Kuwait National Museum

The Kuwait National Museum is one of the most significant sights in the country. It showcases Kuwaiti heritage and history. The museum is home to the relics and artifacts found in Failaka Island and some of the collections from the residence of the late Shiekh Ahmed Al Jabber were also transferred here. It was opened in 1986 with three halls for various exhibitions and one building for administrative purposes. Visiting the museum is worth your time and it is one of the things to do in Kuwait.

6. Liberation Tower

The second highest tower in the country is the Liberation Tower and it is the 38th tallest free-standing tower in the world at 372 meters. At first, it was proposed for the tower to be named as The Kuwait Telecommunications Tower. The construction of the tower started before the 1990 Gulf War. When the war erupted, the tower was 50% completed. Good thing the tower was not damaged in any way during the war. The tower was completed in 1993 and they changed the name.

7. Seif Palace

The Seif Palace is in Kuwait City and it began its construction in 1904. The palace was revamped three times in the last century – in 1909, 1964 and 1987 and that was before the Iraqi war. There were no modern machinery and material back in 1909 and the only way this palace was erected was through the use of clay, stones, limestone, wood and some metal materials. Its most distinguishing feature is the clock tower covered in blue tiles with a pure gold plated dome.

8. Kuwait Science and Natural History Museum

One of the things to do in Kuwait especially if you have kids with you on your vacation is to visit the Kuwait Science and Natural History Museum. The museum is in Safat, Kuwait and was established in 1972. As of today, the building is composed of seven departments – The Natural History Hall, The Space Science Center, The Planetarium, The Electronics Department, The Machinery Segment, The Zoology Division and The Aviation Section. They also have a Health Hall.

9. Bayan Palace

One of the famous palaces in Kuwait is the Bayan Palace. They consider the palace as a great architectural masterpiece which was first used in 1986 to host the Fifth Conference of the Arab League. The whole palace is composed of the following structures – a complex holding the security command system of the palace and a massive parking facility. It also has a large conference hall and the Amiri Tent. The Amiri Tent was created due to the request of Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah. Within the compound, there is a helipad and a 1,200-person capacity mosque.

10. Kuwait Entertainment City

Kuwait Entertainment City is in Al-Asimah, Kuwait and is one of the most visited amusement parks in the country. It was publicly unveiled in 1984 with four sections namely, The Arab World, The International World, The Future World and the Provincial Garden. The amusement park has three roller coasters – they call the first one Oasis Express (1984). Then in 2004, they opened the second one called Lightning. The third one was named Fire Dragon and it has been servicing the park for nine years now.

11. Al-Qurain Martyrs Museum

During the Iraqi war, some freedom fighters took their stand and fought their invaders. It was ten hours of attacking and firing in Al-Qurain at that time and as expected, some of them have perished. Everything that transpired during that battle in Al-Qurain, February 24, 1991 to be exact, were documented in the Al-Qurain Martyrs Museum. The structure serves as a history awareness site for tourists and locals alike plus it is a memorial building for the fallen people of the battle.

12. Sadu House

Tourists also visit the popular Sadu House in Arabian Gulf Road. It features the textile heritage of Kuwait – manually weaved Bedouin and Urban textile. The Bedouin style of wool weaving is done by women in their desert homes. Urban weaving, on the other hand, is wool weaving done by men.

It tells a story about Al-Sadu, how wool weaving was the livelihood back then by making tents, storage sacks, and animal traps etc. That’s the Bedouin style. The Urban style is for cloaks and clothing. One of the things to do in Kuwait is to explore this wool-weaved textile house. It will be an interesting tour for you and it is something new.

13. Kuwait Scientific Center

The Kuwait Scientific Center is situated in Salmiya and is massive at 80,000 square meters. It has an aquarium with over 100 different kinds of marine species. A series of historical sailing vessels are on display too. The center also has an IMAX theater hall, a souvenir shop and more.

The aquarium can accommodate 1.5 million liters of water. It has sharks and fishes. The buildings are decorated with Islamic art and Arabic calligraphy. History of Kuwait related to dhows (sailing vessels) and pearl diving were also featured.

14. Tareq Rajab Museum of Islamic Calligraphy

Many visitors of Kuwait are intrigued about the Tareq Rajab Museum of Islamic Calligraphy. It was created by Tareq Sayed Rajab himself, the first Kuwaiti citizen who was able to study art and archaeology in the UK. Everything inside the museum was a personal collection by Mr. Rajab and his wife, Jehan Wellborne. They travelled all over the world just to find and photograph about Islamic life and culture, among others. The museum was established in 1980 and it has around 10,000 artifacts.

15. Failaka Island

Failaka Island is an island in the Persian Gulf which is twenty kilometers from Kuwait City. It used to be inhabited by people back in 2,000 BC and there were archaeological sites discovered in the area which was connected to the Dilmun civilization. Failaka historical coins were collected and stone homes from 2,000 years ago were dug up.

Before the Iraq-Kuwait war, Failaka had 2,000 residents with several buildings and structures. Everyone had to leave because the place was not well-protected at that time. Today, it functions as a tourist spot. One of the things to do in Kuwait is to visit this beach island with a historical and archaeological past.