Great Mosque. Kuwait mosques What to see in Kuwait

A small country in the northeast of the Arabian Peninsula. The entire economic and cultural life of the country is concentrated in the capital - Kuwait. In recent decades, the country's economy has been actively developing, the city was being built. It has many modern buildings, shopping centers, and museums. The Persian Gulf coast and nearby islands allow tourists to spend time on comfortable beaches. Water sports and diving are popular recreational activities there.

The state is Islamic. All monuments and museums represent the treasures and achievements accumulated by its culture. The architecture has a national flavor, but in a modern stylish design. Many objects are record holders: the tallest towers and skyscrapers, the largest ships and fountains.

Nature is not rich; there is desert around the capital. In Kuwait City, certain areas are being actively landscaped, and they represent modern oases. The cuisine is traditionally Arabic, a lot of meat of all kinds and legumes with seasonings (hummus, falafel). Wide selection of seafood (fish, oysters). There is a prohibition law in the country. Souvenirs can be gold jewelry, spices and oils. A popular product among tourists is a small copy of the famous ship Al Hashemi II. As memorabilia, you can purchase a wide variety of eagle figurines, the symbol of Kuwait, or traditional Bedouin clothing.

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What to see in Kuwait?

The most interesting and beautiful places, photographs and brief descriptions.

The visiting card of the capital of Kuwait. Three high (maximum - 187m) tower structures, the architecture of which uniquely combines traditional Arabic and modern styles. A beautiful and original landmark of the city. The towers are well located on the seashore and are spectacular at different times of the day, especially when illuminated at night. The highest tower houses a revolving restaurant.

A huge TV tower, inside of which there are panoramic elevators, a restaurant, and an observation deck. The height is almost 400 meters. The unusual external decoration of the telecommunications structure is made of ceramic tiles.

One of the tallest buildings in the world and the tallest in Kuwait. The 77-story tower of its original design looks like an unrolled scroll. The unique building houses a shopping center, a cinema, offices, and a sports club. There is a restaurant on the roof where you can enjoy not only excellent cuisine, but also the most breathtaking panorama of the capital. The project has received numerous awards from the global community of architects.

The largest operating temple in Kuwait. The building is monumental, striking in size and design. The creators used national architectural traditions, but embodied them with the help of the latest capabilities and materials. There is a vast park area next to the mosque.

An ancient ship that plied the seas in the past, and is now installed on the Kuwait waterfront. The largest wooden ship on the planet is mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records. The mass of the monument is 2500 tons, the length is almost 100 meters. Inside there is an expensive restaurant where locals often celebrate special occasions.

Greeks lived on the island for several centuries. During excavations, traces of their presence were discovered and an archaeological reserve was created. Two ancient temples are well preserved. Visited by Kuwaiti residents and tourists, it is a historical landmark and a great beach destination.

7. Kuwait National Museum

A modern building that is a cultural center and preserves many works of art. The collection is based on the personal collection of the Sheikh of Kuwait's valuables. The formation of the fund began in 1957. The museum was looted, but now most of the collection has been restored.

One of the largest in the world, located in the capital - Kuwait City. An impressive complex of 220 fountains in three pools. There is a green area around it, with a park and playgrounds. Every evening there is a colorful fountain show accompanied by classical music.

The building is unique in its architecture. A real oriental palace, beautiful and rich. Only local materials were used in the design. A special attraction of the palace is the tower with a unique clock, which is decorated with ceramic tiles and real gold.

10. Tareq Rajab Museum

Museum of Islamic Art and Calligraphy. A significant part of the funds was collected by a married couple of scientists - Tarek Rajab himself and his wife. The collection includes not only written art objects, but also ceramics, jewelry, and weapons. All the valuables were collected in a variety of Arab countries and represent the diversity of their cultural heritage.

An extended resort area on the shores of the Persian Gulf. Beach, swimming pools, lots of entertainment and developed infrastructure. At night there is an entertainment club on the beach where you can dance right on the sand. There are expensive hotels and spa centers nearby.

Artificial ice skating rink, under a roof. Includes the Large and Small Ice Zones. Provides tourists with the opportunity to go ice skating when it’s really hot outside. Located in the capital, one of the most visited entertainment venues in the country.

A modern zoological park with a large territory and a veterinary clinic. The enclosures contain about two thousand animals. All opportunities to meet the inhabitants of different natural zones and continents. There are organized picnic areas in a special area of ​​the zoo; you can bring your own food and have a snack in nature.

The area of ​​water surrounding Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. According to its characteristics, it is as close as possible to the sea. In addition to economic and geopolitical significance, it has fishing and recreational opportunities. The coastline is convenient for creating beaches; in the Kuwait area it is all built up with high-star hotels.

An artificial island in the Persian Gulf. On its territory there is a park, for the landscaping of which 50,000 ornamental shrubs brought from different parts of the world were planted. The park contains playgrounds, restaurants, theaters, and an observation tower. The place in the center is reserved for an artificial lake with salt water.

Kuwait City is the capital of the State of Kuwait, located in the northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. The oldest settlements in the Kuwait region were before the new era. Near the modern city, the remains of Greek temples built during the eastern expedition of Alexander the Great (334 BC) were discovered. Legend attributes the founding of the city to Sheikh Barrak al-Hamikh. By his order at the end of the 17th century. (1672) the fortified village of Kuwait was founded on a small peninsula, which translated from Arabic means “Little Fort”. In 1756, Kuwait became the seat of the ruling party of the Sabah family. More than once, Kuwait was conquered by other countries. In 1871 it came under Turkish rule. In 1899 England established its protectorate over Kuwait. In 1961, Kuwait achieved the abolition of the British protectorate and declared independence. Kuwait City became the capital of the State of Kuwait. The emir's residence and the main state and government institutions are located here.

Old Kuwait was a typically eastern city. Small - one or two floors - adobe houses, surrounded by high stone walls, narrow, winding streets, numerous caravanserais. At night the city plunged into darkness due to a complete lack of lighting. A powerful fortress wall (part of it is still preserved as a monument) with seven gates that were closed at night reliably protected the inhabitants from Bedouin raids. Perhaps Kuwait would have remained like this to this day if it had not been for the huge oil reserves discovered in the country, which began to be developed in the late 40s. XX century and made it possible to rebuild the capital and turn it into the “Paris of the Persian Gulf,” as Kuwait City is called. In the second half of the 50s, a master plan for the reconstruction of Kuwait was drawn up, in the implementation of which many foreign firms took part. Kuwait City has been rebuilt to meet modern urban planning requirements. It now practically lacks the Old City - the medina, which is an integral part of many Arab cities.

The capital of Kuwait is divided into two parts: the center and 14 suburban areas. The city stretches in a wide strip along the southern shore of Kuwait Bay for 25 km. In plan, Kuwait City resembles a triangle with a wide base and an apex facing north, where the official institutions of the city are located.

In the central part there are the official residence of the emir, the buildings of the National Assembly, ministries and departments, and foreign diplomatic missions. In close proximity to them, palaces and villas of members of the ruling dynasty, senior dignitaries, and leading representatives of the business world were built; here is the Guest House - a room for receiving especially honorable persons who arrived at the invitation of the government, and a number of first-class hotels - Bristol, Carlston, Golden Beach, etc.

The business and shopping center of the capital is Fahd al-Salem Street. It is built up with tall modern buildings. There are government offices, banks and comfortable hotels here. The streets are laid out in a European style, landscaped, lined with glass and concrete buildings with flat roofs made of reinforced concrete slabs. In the architecture of government and business buildings, palaces and mansions of rich people, the European style is combined with elements of national architecture, such as ceremonial colonnades and arcades, deep niches with vaulted ceilings and superstructures reminiscent of a minaret dome, and Arabic ornaments applied to the walls. This enhances the Arab flavor of the capital. In the traditions of Muslim architecture, the two-story Qasr Sif Palace was built, where the residence of the Emir of Kuwait is located. The quarter of the local nobility Abdallah al-Salem is also built with palaces in the traditions of Arab architecture.

There are more than 600 mosques in Kuwait, they greatly decorate the city. El-Jami el-Kubra (Great Mosque), built in the early 80s. XX century, is a masterpiece of religious architecture. It is designed for 5.5 thousand worshipers. The traditional dome of the mosque, 43 m high and 35 m in diameter, is raised above the cubic prayer hall. The minaret of the mosque is 72 m high. Its walls are decorated with mosaics, Arabic ornaments, and sayings from the Koran inscribed throughout.

In the center of the city there is a noisy oriental bazaar. The bazaar is not only a place of trade; artisans here make coffee pots, copper trays, various figurines, and openwork lamps. A special place in the bazaar is occupied by shops selling “fish eyes” - pearls that brought fame to the emirate. The most valuable variety is considered to be “golden rose” - white pearls of a soft pink hue, with a regular round shape. Pendants, rings, and earrings are made from it.

At the “gold” bazaar there are a lot of gold rings, earrings, bracelets, pendants, and stacks of gold coins nearby. Kuwait is also called the “golden” emirate. Thanks to a law that allows the free import and export of gold in unlimited quantities, Kuwait is the world's largest transshipment point for gold trade. It is purchased from international markets in London and Zurich and then transported to India, Pakistan and neighboring Arab countries.

Kuwait City is the main cultural center of the country. All major educational institutions are concentrated in it, including the National University, the editorial offices of major newspapers and magazines, a radio and television center, etc.

The university campus is located in one of the greenest areas of the capital - Ash Shuwaikh. The town was built in the style of medieval Arab castles.

The main museum of Kuwait is the National Museum, opened in the second half of the 50s. XX century The museum has a department of prehistoric culture, a department of the Sumerian-Babylonian period with exhibits dating back to the 4th-1st millennia BC. e., a department of the Hellenistic period, rich in exhibits dating back to the 3rd century. BC e. - II century n. e., department of early Islam and Kuwaiti antiquity with exhibits from the Arab Middle Ages.

Recreation areas, beaches, yacht clubs, sports grounds, and attractions have been created in the suburbs. In 1984, a park similar to the famous Disneyland was opened here.

Geography

The city is located on the low southern shore of Kuwait Bay, the only deep-water harbor on the western coast of the Persian Gulf. The city is divided into three zones: industrial (in the western suburb of Shuwaikh), educational (where the university, schools and research institutions are located) and recreational (extends along the coastal road to the city of Al Jahra).

Climate

Kuwait's climate is exceptionally hot. It is a subtropical desert and is characterized by extremely high temperatures in the summer. Summer average maximums rarely fall below +45 °C, sometimes rising to +50...+55 °C in the shade. Precipitation is excluded in the summer; due to extremely high temperatures, dust storms occur. Winter is characterized by changeable weather. From time to time there are frosts and sometimes slight frosts at night; all rare precipitation occurs in the autumn-winter period, when rare cyclones, mainly from the Indian Ocean, reach the city.

Short story

The first information about the city dates back to the 18th century; it was from this time that they talk about the beginning of the existence of Kuwait. For a number of centuries, the city was the center of the Sheikhdom of Kuwait, which, starting from the 16th century, was part of the Ottoman Empire, and in 1899 came under the protectorate of Great Britain. The discovery of rich oil deposits in Kuwait and in the vicinity of its capital contributed to the rapid economic development of the country, but the main profits from oil production and industrial production went to the USA and Great Britain. This caused discontent not only among workers, but also among local oligarchs. On June 19, 1961, in the capital of the country, an agreement was signed between the British government and the Emir of Kuwait, Abdullah al-Sabah, to annul the 1899 treaty. Kuwait gained independence. In 1990, Kuwait found itself in the zone of occupation by Iraqi troops and was liberated only in February 1991. The capital of Kuwait is currently a modern city with a radial development of widened and green streets.

Attractions Kuwait City

Kuwait Towers

The Kuwait Towers are a group of three water towers in the city of Kuwait that stand on a headland in the Persian Gulf.
There are three towers in total, the tallest of which is one hundred and eighty-seven meters high. Three water towers made of durable reinforced concrete are designed to provide their main function of maintaining pressure in the city's water supply networks and serve as water storage, since Kuwait has no fresh water sources at all. Once upon a time, the tallest of the towers held a million gallons of water in its two balls and provided it to all neighboring areas.
The towers were opened in 1979 and gained popularity due to their unusual nature. The towers owe their futuristic appearance to the architects San Lindström and Malena Björn. They are stellate cones directed upward and gradually narrowing. The restaurant and observation deck of the main tower, from which a breathtaking panorama of Kuwait City and the Persian Gulf opens, have become favorite destinations for tourists.
During the occupation of Kuwait in 1990-1991, the towers were damaged by the Iraqi army. In 1992, after the liberation of Kuwait by the US Army during the first Gulf War, the towers were thoroughly examined, but it was found that the damage was only external. In the shortest possible time, the towers were repaired and appeared before the city in their pristine beauty.

Great Mosque

Al-Jami Al-Kubra Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in the state of Kuwait. It is located in the Old City opposite the Qasr Sif Palace. Construction of Al-Jami al-Kubra began in 1979 and ended in 1986. Its final cost was approximately 14 million Kuwaiti dinars.
The mosque was built and opened by Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah. One day, while leaving his palace, Sheikh Jaber noticed that members of the public were praying outside the nearby small mosque because it could not accommodate all the worshipers. He then immediately ordered the construction of the Grand Mosque on a central plot of land, which would stand among the buildings of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Planning, the Central Bank and the Kuwait Stock Exchange with a panoramic view of the sea coast.
It was built in the best traditions of traditional Islamic and Arabic architecture. Modern technologies were closely used during the construction of the mosque. For example, the overall structure, minaret, pillars, ceilings, and foundation are made of reinforced concrete. Natural stone of various shades was used in the exterior decoration, and high-quality Italian marble in the interior. The doors are carved by Indian craftsmen. One of the largest domes in the world is decorated with the names of Allah and verses from the Koran in Arabic. The Emir's Hall is decorated with intricate carvings that took 2 years of work.
The mosque occupies an area of ​​45 thousand square meters, of which the building itself accounts for about 20 thousand square meters. The rest is occupied by gardens with a variety of flowers, plants, palm trees, fountains and waterfalls. On the eastern side there is a vast courtyard with a total area of ​​6.5 thousand square meters. The main prayer hall, 72 x 72 meters, has 21 teak doors and is illuminated by 144 windows. The dome of the mosque, with a diameter of 26 meters and a height of 43 meters, is decorated with 99 names of Allah.
The cathedral mosque can accommodate up to 10 thousand men in the main prayer hall. There is a separate room for women, which can accommodate up to 950 believers. During Ramadan, about 180 thousand men, women and children from all over the Arab world visit it to pray together to Allah in anticipation of the Night of Destiny - Laylat al-Qadr. The mosque grounds include a library, a 5-level car park located below the eastern courtyard, it can accommodate up to five hundred and fifty cars, and is equipped with elevators providing access to the upper halls and public areas.

Al Khalifa Mosque, the oldest mosque in Kuwait City, is located opposite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The mosque was built in 1714 by Sheikh Khalifa Bin Mohamed, the great-grandfather of the Khalifa family, and was financed by sales of date palms grown in the city of Al Hasa. Today the mosque is still popular among city residents and tourists.

The mosque is characterized by a strict architectural composition. All traditions of Arabic architecture are strictly observed. Strict forms, minimal finishing, nothing superfluous. This beautiful religious building made of red-brown stone fits harmoniously into the surrounding lifeless landscape and amazes with its grandeur. To understand the way of thinking and life of Muslims, you must visit the oldest and most beautiful Al-Khalifa Mosque.

Great Mosque

The Grand Mosque is one of the largest mosques in the world, a masterpiece of Kuwaiti architecture. It fully lives up to its name, since the size of the structure is truly enormous. This amazing building, built in 1986 by Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, can accommodate up to 41,000 worshippers.

The area of ​​the mosque is 50 thousand square meters, of which the building itself occupies 20,000 square meters. The rest of the territory has a garden with many flowers, plantations, palm trees, fountains and waterfalls. The mosque is decorated with 82 domes, thousands of columns, chandeliers gilded with gold leaf, and the world's largest hand-woven carpet. The main prayer hall is illuminated by one of the grandest chandeliers in the world. Sheikh Zayed, the monarch who gave it his name, is buried on the premises of the mosque. His burial was the first religious service held in this mosque.

The mosque is surrounded by sparkling pools that enhance its beauty. During the day, the building glitters in the sun with white and gold, and at night it is flooded with artificial light, and the unique lighting system changes depending on the phases of the moon. Also on the territory of the Grand Mosque there is a religious library and a parking lot that can accommodate up to five hundred and fifty cars.

Al-Jami Al-Kubra Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in the state of Kuwait. It is located in the Old City opposite the Qasr Sif Palace. Construction of Al-Jami al-Kubra began in 1979 and ended in 1986. Its final cost was approximately 14 million Kuwaiti dinars.

The mosque was built and opened by Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah. One day, while leaving his palace, Sheikh Jaber noticed that members of the public were praying outside the nearby small mosque because it could not accommodate all the worshipers. He then immediately ordered the construction of the Grand Mosque on a central plot of land, which would stand among the buildings of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Planning, the Central Bank and the Kuwait Stock Exchange with a panoramic view of the sea coast.

It was built in the best traditions of traditional Islamic and Arabic architecture. Modern technologies were closely used during the construction of the mosque. For example, the overall structure, minaret, pillars, ceilings, and foundation are made of reinforced concrete. Natural stone of various shades was used in the exterior decoration, and high-quality Italian marble in the interior. The doors are carved by Indian craftsmen. One of the largest domes in the world is decorated with the names of Allah and verses from the Koran in Arabic. The Emir's Hall is decorated with intricate carvings that took 2 years of work.

The mosque occupies an area of ​​45 thousand square meters, of which the building itself accounts for about 20 thousand square meters. The rest is occupied by gardens with a variety of flowers, plants, palm trees, fountains and waterfalls. On the eastern side there is a vast courtyard with a total area of ​​6.5 thousand square meters. The main prayer hall, 72 x 72 meters, has 21 teak doors and is illuminated by 144 windows. The dome of the mosque, with a diameter of 26 meters and a height of 43 meters, is decorated with 99 names of Allah.

The cathedral mosque can accommodate up to 10 thousand men in the main prayer hall. There is a separate room for women, which can accommodate up to 950 believers. During Ramadan, about 180 thousand men, women and children from all over the Arab world visit it to pray together to Allah in anticipation of the Night of Destiny - Laylat al-Qadr. The mosque grounds include a library, a 5-level car park located below the eastern courtyard, it can accommodate up to five hundred and fifty cars, and is equipped with elevators providing access to the upper halls and public areas.