Kuwait National Museum

When you shift base to a new country the best place to know about that country, its history, culture and custom is to visit its museums. That’s the first step we took after landing in Kuwait. We visited the Kuwait National Museum. After that many more visits followed taking parents, in-laws, my brother and friends.

Located in Kuwait City on the Arabian Gulf Street between the Seif Palace and the National Assembly (Parliament), the Kuwait National Museum was planned by Michel Ecochard. A few feet away, there is Al Sadu house which faces the Gulf street. Though the architectural project and the plans of the museum were ready in 1960, actual construction started only in 1981. It was on February 23, 1983 that two of the four buildings were inaugurated; the planetarium was opened on February 16, 1986. One of the four blocks of the museum houses all administrative wings, offices and an auditorium. The permanent exhibits are displayed in the other three blocks.

The museum has an interesting history. It was originally the residence of Sheikh Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah. But the archaeological discoveries at Failaka created a need for a place to house these important finds. A department of Antiquity and Museums was also set up by the government and the department bought the former home of the Al Badr family in Kuwait City and turned it into the national museum.

                                                        Boom Al-Muhallab(a very big dhow) is part of the museum

A tour of the Kuwait National Museum of Kuwait makes you discover the wonderful art collection of the Al-Sabah dynasty. The rich trading history of Kuwait is unfolded in the treasure trove displaying archaeological findings of the Failaka Island, various artifacts and the remnants of the ancient pear diving dhows.

The roofs of the building are of concrete with an aluminum frame covering the garden and the buildings.

Upon entering the guard takes your civil ID and gives you a visitors badge. The entry to the museum is free.

There are two types of museums, the first museum is a display of artifacts found on Failika island during an archaeological dig, wooden doors of the past, terracotta and engraved tools, animal fossil which is 16million old, group of blades and cutters from flint stone and Neolithic age, silver statues and bronze coins from the bronze period and Hellenistic period. But when we first visited the museum it had exhibits at two floors. The ground floor was the same but the first floor had musical instruments and various types of radios used in the past. But in our later visits, we found the first floor closed and there were no exhibits.

The next museum is my favorite. It's a museum of Kuwaiti heritage. It looks like Kuwait during the 40's and 50's, like a small village. The displays include statues imitating the old ways of Kuwait. From merchants selling their goods to what a typical Kuwaiti house looked like before the invasion of modern technology. So simple were the olden days. There are old photos dating back to 1942. You will come to know that Kuwait was once a simple trading hub and that a lot of people depended on the sea for earnings. In the next post I will write in detail about the Heritage Museum.

Although the museum was looted, burned and destroyed by Iraqi invaders, efforts to restore most of the artifacts and important materials were made. Even today there's plenty to do and view at the four buildings and the planetarium that make up the National Museum. But one thing I noticed is that it is the most neglected place when you compare with other places of interest. I feel the government should pay more attention to it.

Anyhow, it is a real great place to visit if you're interested in the past.
 
Museum Visiting Hours :

Monday to Saturday: 8.30-12.30AM   4.30- 8.30PM
Friday        Morning off.         Afternoon :  4.30-8.30