The major Kuwait attractions include a number of marvelous architectural wonders that have maintained modern as well as traditional Arabic style of architecture. In spite of the Gulf war and ensuing problems with Iraq, Kuwait has been successful in maintaining and furthering its cultural heritage.
Among the most prominent sightseeing destinations in Kuwait, the Kuwait Towers, the Liberation Tower, the Tareq Rajab Museum, the Kuwait Mosque, amusement parks, Liberation Monuments, Kuwait municipal gardens, Kuwait musical fountain, the Sadu house, Kuwait Zoological park, scientific center are some.
Some of the most important tourist attractions in Kuwait City are:
- The Kuwait Towers: These are three towers, two of which double as entertainment spots as well as huge water reservoirs that supply the entire city of Kuwait with water.
- The Liberation Tower: Offering a beautiful view of the Kuwait city, it is named so after the triumph in Gulf War over Iraq, these are the 5th highest telecommunication towers in the world and the highest in the middle-east region.
- The Kuwait National Museum: This is a must visit place for tourists interested in Islamic art. The entire collection of the Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah and Sheikha Hussa Al-Sabah is housed here in. Apart from this, there are rare Islamic manuscripts, books and a planetarium that is a sure hit with all museum lovers.
Kuwait Science and Natural History Museum
The Kuwait Science and Natural History Museum is one of the most lucrative sightseeing spots for those who choose to take a quick trip through Kuwait. The Science and Natural History Museum keeps a record of the country’s technological and scientific progress. The most important sections of the museum include artifacts and demonstration of the petroleum industry of Kuwait which is believably the 2nd largest in the world. The petroleum industry of Kuwait is the most important asset of the country. The history of the nation is incomplete without a thorough study of the oil industry and the international disputes and policies that surround it.
The Other Major Departments of the Science and Natural History Museum
- The Natural History Department
- The Space Science Department
- The Planetarium
- The Electronics Department
- The Machinery Department
- The Zoology Department
- The Aviation Department
- The Health hall
Those who wish to visit this exquisite museum must do so between 9 in the morning to 12 at noon and between 4:30 and 7:30 in the evening. The charges vary according to age. The Museum is located in Abdullah Mubarak Street in Safat.
Kuwait National Museum
The Kuwait National Museum was the first museum of Kuwait was earlier located in the residential building of Sheikh Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah.
The museum exhibits all the artifacts in the three blocks. The administrative offices and galleries are present in another block of the museum premises. The archaeological discoveries in Failaka demanded the immediate set up of a museum. Though the museum was built in the 1980s, the plans were drawn out a couple of decades earlier by architect Michel Ecochard. The latest division to open up to the public was the planetarium.
Divisions of the Kuwait National Museum
- The Islamic Paintings: Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah, Sheikha Hussa Al-Sabah and his wife collected the valuable Islamic paintings. The Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah is now a prominent part of the Kuwait national Museum. The paintings are the translation of geography and history into artistic impression. Yet their clarity and comprehension is what accounts for their immense popularity. It now comprises about 20, 000 paintings in all. This particular division has attracted the attention of even the British Museum.
- The Library: Rare Islamic Books have been kept in the Library, which are of utmost importance to scholars researching on Islam.
- The Planetarium: This section is meant for showcasing and demonstrating the wonders and findings of the outer world and recent extra-terrestrial findings.
Kuwait Musical Fountain
Kuwait Musical Fountain is quite close to the ice-skating rink present in the Shamiah area of Kuwait city, so people can see both the places in a single visit. The rink is quite large and a smaller one is present for women and children. Those who wish to learn this art can avail the training as well. When the Iraqis had occupied the country, Kuwait Musical Fountain was badly destroyed but later the damages were restored. Kuwait Musical Fountain is present in the country’s green belt region and contains 220 fountains on 3 pools. The other attractions of Kuwait Musical Fountain are games for kids and an exciting cafeteria.
Kuwait Science Club
Kuwait Science Club is located on Ring Road, in Kuwait City. It was founded on 11 th August in the year 1974. The Kuwait Science Club is supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor of Kuwait. The club is a completely non-profit organization. The members of Kuwait Science Club can belong to any nationality and this is not an issue at all. The Kuwait Science Club has its own Board of Directors who create the policies, plans and the aims of the club. The board is totally dedicated towards their work and ensure that all the procedures of Kuwait Science Club are properly carried out. The Aujairy Observatory is a very popular feature of Kuwait Science Club.
Kuwait Mosques
Kuwait mosques are located in different corners of the city. They are the strong pillars of Islamic belief.
The role of Islam is immense in Kuwait for it is the most powerful source of motivation in binding the people of the place. Except for a few Christian Kuwaitis, majority of the people of Kuwait are Muslims.
Located on the Arabian Gulf Street, Grand Mosque is known to be the largest mosque in Kuwait. It covers an area of 45,000 square meters. The architecture breathes a traditional Islamic style. This mosque of Kuwait was opened to the people in June, 1986.
The mosque area is beautifully adorned with waterfalls, green gardens, colorful flowers and palm trees. There are a total of 21 doors in the mosque which is made of Al Sag or teakwood. The walls are designed with Islamic geometrical signs and verses from Quran. Various Islam ceremonies are observed with great devotion in the mosque. The prayer hall has an accommodation capacity for 10,000 people. There is also a prayer hall exclusively for women.
Besides, the Grand Mosque, the other Kuwait mosques include the following:
- Al-Mudairees Mosque
Location: near Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Al-Ujairy Mosque
Location: near Kuwait Municipality building - Al-Mullah Saleh Mosque
Location: near Al-Muthanna Complex - Al-Uthman Mosque
Location: near the National Assembly - Bin Hamad Mosque
Location: behind palace of justice - Al-Sharrah Mosque
Location: Salmiya - Marzook Al-Bader Mosque
Location: behind Salhiyah Post Office - Abdulaziz al-Otaibi Mosque
Location: near Kuwait finance House head office - Fadalah Mosque
Location: behind Al-Wataniya Suq - Ben Nabhan Mosque
Location: near Derwazat Abdul-Razzaq - Al-Hamad Mosque
Location: Jleeb Al-Shuyokh - Al-salhiya mosque
Location: behind Meridian Hotel
The Tareq Rajab Museum
The Tareq Rajab Museum is located at the main city area of Kuwait. The museum has the collection of above thirty thousand items collected by Tareq SayedRajab and his beloved wife Jehan Wellborne. The items are about fifty years old.
Kuwait Towers
The Kuwait towers are a must visit sightseeing destination with a huge water reservoir, restaurants, cafeteria and a revolving observatory. Opened to public in 1979, the tower also has water reservation facilities, which provide water to Kuwait city. The towers were designed by architects Malene Bjorn and Sune Linderstrom.
Distinct Features of the Kuwait Towers
- The first tower of Kuwait is 140 meters tall.
- The first tower houses a water reservoir. It is the spherical structure holds the water.
- The second tower is 180 meters tall.
- The there is a restaurant and a cafeteria in the second tower along with a water reservoir.
- The third tower is primarily set up for lighting the other towers. There are ninety six concealed spot lights that do this work.
- The taller tower has a revolving observatory that makes one complete revolution in half an hour and gives an excellent view of the Kuwait city.
- The taller tower has a capacity to hold one million gallons of water.
- The total water holding capacity all the towers taken together amounts to 45,000 cubic meters of water.