Arab Times

REMEMBER WHEN

- Courtesy of The Center for Research and Studies on Kuwait

An aerial view of Dasman Palace, home of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber, the ruler of Kuwait from 1921 till 1950 as it looked then. It has since gone through tremendous changes and modernizat­ion to suit the present ruler of Kuwait who inherited this palace from his father. Note the east end of the city wall in the background.

The architectu­re in old Kuwait is characteri­zed by its success in “transformi­ng the local values and way of life into architectu­ral terms,” as stated by a contempora­ry architect of Kuwait. The Kuwaiti master builder, known locally as ustad, drew no plans on papers; he figured the proportion­s and made the plan in his mind. His success, however, in using traditiona­l techniques with locally available materials such as mud, gypsum, coral and mangrove poles, is all too evident.

A house or a mosque in old Kuwait

Local Architectu­re

was always built around a courtyard where a brackish water well or a freshwater cistern stood. In daytime, there would be plenty of sunshine throughout the house. Invariably, a few stairs led to the roof, a much preferred place for sleeping during hot summer nights. Close to the house stood the diwaniya, or men’s meeting place, with its private entrance and coffee-hearth in the center. It was there that the men of the house would entertain their guests.

In nearby villages, however, houses were less sophistica­ted and blended beautifull­y with the surroundin­g environmen­t. Some were fishermen’s homes; others, such as the romantic kubar, were retreats that belonged to city dwellers. They resided there in the spring when the desert bloomed after the winter rains. (From the book ‘Old Kuwait: Memories in Photograph­s’)

 ?? © K.O.C. ?? Photograph courtesy of The Center for Research and Studies on Kuwait and the work of Dr Yacoub AlHijji in the book OldKuwait: Memories in Photograph­s first published in 1996.
© K.O.C. Photograph courtesy of The Center for Research and Studies on Kuwait and the work of Dr Yacoub AlHijji in the book OldKuwait: Memories in Photograph­s first published in 1996.

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