Kuwait

Photos

5 Photos
Much of the sediment clouding the water in this image of the Persian Gulf is from the Shatt al Arab River, which enters the Gulf in the north along the Iran-Iraq border. The river drains the combined waters of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers of Iraq, and the Karun River of Iran. Though other rivers empty into the Persian Gulf, most of its fresh water comes from the Shatt al Arab. On the right edge of the image is the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, part of the northern Indian Ocean. The Persian Gulf is flanked to the west by wedge-shaped Kuwait and by Saudi Arabia with its vast tan-, pink-, and white-sand deserts; to the south by Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman; and to the east by the dry mountains of Iran. The wetlands and rivers of Mesopotamia border the Gulf on the north. The red dots mark gas flares in oil fields of Iran and Iraq. Image courtesy of NASA.
Dhows (Arab sailing vessels) played a prominent role in Kuwait's maritime history, and were used in trade, fishing, and pearling. This restored example is on display in Kuwait City.
The Kuwait Water Towers: "Mushrooms in the Desert." There are actually 31 of these aesthetically pleasing water towers in Kuwait City; they were completed in 1976.
The Kuwait Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in Kuwait and can hold over 10,000 worshipers.
The three spires of the Kuwait Towers serve as an architectural icon of Kuwait. The main tower houses restaurants, reception halls, viewing platforms, and a water tank; the second tower is a water tower, and the third tower holds the equipment that illuminates the other two towers. Iraqi forces unsuccessfully tried to destroy the towers during the 1990 invasion.