More Museum Mannequins, a Touch of Quirk, and ... Elmo?

So, the last remaining item on my Kuwait Bucket List (that wasn’t closed for renovation or involved taking a boat) was to visit the Kuwait Heritage Museum. Technically it would be the third time I’d been there, but I managed to time it right and finally arrived before the four-hour daily lunch break. I also managed to convince two friends to come along and bring their toddlers.

Based on previous museum outings, I had forewarned them that it might be a bit “quirky,” which I think only intrigued them more. The museum is located behind the Sadu House on Gulf Road (north of the Grand Mosque).

The entrance looks a little unassuming, but once you walk through their “welcome center” (which was empty sans a sleepy guard and some dusty security equipment), you are in a compound of sorts, with interconnected buildings and a grassy quad that’s actually partially roofed, which offered lovely shade on a day where temps hit 118 degrees. We asked Snoozy the guard where we should head to first and he indicated the building on the left; so we headed out. This building housed an extensive exhibit on the history of Kuwait’s coins and bills as well as their stamps. Things were well-displayed in glass cases, and had some labels in English, but most were in Arabic. For an avid philatelist or numismatist, I'm sure it would have been rip-roaring fun, but for me I mostly appreciated the air conditioning and good lighting.

When we first walked in, the woman at the desk told us not to miss the archeological exhibit in the room off to the rear far right, but also made sure we knew that there was nothing to see on the second or third floors -- sounding suspiciously like, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!” Yeah, heard that before! But we did wander in to the archeological exhibit which had an impressive display of ceramics and coins that have been unearthed on Failaka Island, just 12 miles off the coast in the Arabian Gulf. They had even uncovered some Alexander the Great coins, along with the standard potsherds and questionable shiny bits.

The next building we came to was labeled the “Heritage Museum.” Inside there was a rather imposing Conan-like guard. As we smiled and walked past him to head back into the exhibit, he stopped us and in broken English said something about a film. It took twenty months, but I finally found someone to practice my Arabic with... too late. We were at a standstill; even with my go-to mime talents we were clueless as to what he was trying to tell us. But regardless of the content, it was quite apparent that he did not want us to enter the exhibit. Finally he dashed off and after waiting around for a minute and staring at each other, we decided to just explore the exhibit anyway. Within a few minutes Conan returned with a woman at his side who spoke English. She explained that the film, or show, at the planetarium was starting now so if we were interested we could go do that first. How sweet, Conan just wanted to make sure our museum-going experience was complete. We did a quick confab and decided that taking three squirming toddlers into a planetarium show might not have the best outcome, so we thanked them for the information, but decided to forego the planets and continue on through the exhibit.

The Heritage Museum is set up like Kuwait City must have looked pre-riches. We followed the windy "street" past the old-fashioned cobblers shop and the spice shop and the dishdasha shop, peered into mock-ups of dining rooms and living rooms and even a bridal suite. There were hundreds of mannequins used (maybe those who couldn't work here, ended up at the Othman Museum on balconies and flying carpets) and yes, I still found them creepy. Since we had the museum to ourselves, we let the toddlers toddle and just meandered behind them. I'm all for using any safe (relatively contained) opportunity to get the wiggles out, be it an Ikea display room or a mock-up of Kuwait City. Wiggle on!

As we concluded our tour of olde time Kuwait, we wandered back outside into the quad area and let the kids explore the paths and the grassy bits. My daughter has spent over a year of her 15-months of life in Kuwait, and in all that time it never occurred to me that I had been neglectful in exposing her to grass. But that was quite apparent when I went to put her in it and she just sat there, frozen in horror. Hmmm, okay, "Expose child to more nature" is now on my new bucket list.

From here we wandered over to the remaining building that we had yet to explore. As if on cue, Conan returned to our side and proceeded to lead us to his favorite, the planetarium.

When we were inside, he then, without any warning, scooped up my friend's son and carried him up the ramp leaving us no choice but to follow him. Note, trying to scoop up my own toddler with one hand and push a stroller up a curved ramp with the other was a feat I was ill-prepared for. But I made it to the top where Conan proceeded to open the door and walk in to the darkened theater where we heard the unmistakable sounds of... Elmo? Yup, that's definitely Elmo in a Kuwaiti planetarium. So, feeling more curious than pressured I pushed the stroller in with one hand and carrying my daughter found myself in a very very dark theater staring up at an immensely large Elmo and Big Bird on the planetarium ceiling. I parked the stroller to the side, having no idea if it was on someone's toes or not, and felt around with my hand trying to find a seat. I finally found one and we sat; for about three minutes. Even with the lure of a Godzilla-sized Elmo, my wiggly daughter was unimpressed. So, feeling around again, hoping not to grab anyone's hijab or toupee, I managed to find my stroller and backed out of the theater.

As we waited for our friends, we explored the few exhibits in the planetarium's lobby area and wandered outside to try not picking up all the trash bits we saw -- such a hit with toddlers. After the show finished, we were curious if the Elmo film was a daily thing. So we sought out Conan or one of his friends. We found Conan, but even with my minimal Arabic, he couldn't understand, "Is the Elmo/Sesame Street film every day?" (I think "Elmo" was throwing him off.) But we again located the woman who helped last time and she was able to dig up a planetarium program; from last year. Here was where she shared a little secret with us, "Just come and ask for the Sesame Street film, they can play it anytime." Good to know. There were several other buildings on the compound, but it wasn't clear that they were meant for public exploration, so we took a little snack break next to a large dhow boat, then headed out. All in all, it wasn't quite as quirky as I was expecting, but at the same time, it had just enough "quirk" to make it well worth the visit.

Saddam’s Head and the Revival of the Diorama

With a touch of reservation, I will add to the “must see” museum category the Kuwait House for National Works Not To Forget Museum Saddam Hussain Regime Crimes (aka, Kuwait House of National Memorial Museum, aka “Do Not Forget Museum”) – and if ever there was a need for an acronym, I think this is it. But, unlike the Tareq Ragab or al-Athar Islamiyyah museums, do not go expecting Islamic wonders and never-before-seen treasures. “Do Not Forget” is all about Saddam’s invasion and the revival of the diorama.

Now I don’t fault Kuwait for never wanting to forget; it’s certainly something that needs to be remembered. But I think they could have done it with a little less kitch and horror. In sum, this museum is a 9th grade diorama project, coupled with hideous photos of burned and tortured victims of Saddam Hussein, and culminating in the head of Saddam’s infamous statue.

First off, getting there was a test of true patience and fell well within the “just how much do you want this” category. But for those of you who really want to go, even after reading the following, you take Gulf Road all the way around towards the Port, past the NBK building as the road turns and then right before it merges onto the Coastal Road, take the u-turn and you’ll actually see a sign for “Kuwait House of National Memorial Museum”. After the u-turn make your first right and look for the cannons out front on the right. And note that like most other Kuwaiti museums, they’re closed from noon to 4pm, so plan accordingly.

The museum starts you off with a walk through a dark windy hallway, with a loud speaker spouting the narration of the invasion and subsequent war. With each progressing scene, a diorama is illuminated in turn, culminating with fire-fights and eventual victory. I wasn’t sure whether to bring the baby through this, but the kind Egyptian running the “show” turned down the blaring narration so I pushed the stroller through, keeping her well ahead of the explosions and light shows. It wasn’t gory, just loud, but I would definitely not bring children who might be frightened by the dark or loud noises or who might just be artistically offended by the silly little dioramas.

At the end of the dioramas, you end up at the back of a theater. We weren’t sure where to go, but headed towards one of the doors and then found ourselves in another hallway. This lead us through a nice tribute to many of the 38 countries that assisted Kuwait in Desert Storm. Then it ended, and lead to another hallway housing some astounding photos of the destruction around Kuwait, as well as some horrific photos of the victims, including children. There were still no signs indicating any exit, and the only door, other than the one we came through at the far end, was at the opposite end of a side room entitled “The Iraqi Regime Crimes.” This was lined floor-to-ceiling with photos of atrocities I just didn’t want to see, so I raced through it with the stroller and found myself outside at the front door of the museum.

It felt very final, like, “Thanks for coming, here’s the exit, have a nice day.” However, I knew from the tourism-blog-searches that I had done, that the whole reason for coming here was to see Saddam’s head. So, without really thinking, I said, apparently rather loudly, “But where’s the head?” To which, a Kuwait man on his cell phone peered around the corner at me and casually indicated we should go through the unmarked door in front of us.

So, much like Alice, we entered the next tunnel of the rabbit hole and found ourselves in another room surrounded by more horrendous photographs. After zipping past them, we then found ourselves in a long hallway. At one end were three life-sized dioramas/rooms depicting, what I’m assuming were, Saddam’s men torturing more victims.

But then, glancing down at the far end I could see perched slightly askew on some 2x4s on the ground was Saddam’s bronze head. As a conclusion to the rather surreal experience on the whole, it somehow seemed fitting. But at the same time, also seemed a bit of a let down. Regardless, I can guarantee you that we will never forget the “Do Not Forget Museum,” which in the end is really what matters.

Gems & Germs: Exploring Kuwait’s Tourism Side

Kuwait is certainly not known for its tourism draws. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that their official tourism board is staffed by one lonely guy burning up his iPhone's battery flinging angry birds around, merely glancing up once a month to hand out a flight schedule to Dubai to a wayward visitor.

Despite this assumption, I was bound and determined to find something worth seeing in Kuwait. When we lived in Cairo and had visitors, I spent hours trying to figure out how much we could cram in considering daylight, traffic, jet lag, and nourishment requirements. Conversely, in Kuwait we’ve had just one visitor and to be honest, my mother came to see her granddaughter, not Kuwait. But, with our departure from Kuwait looming, and never one to turn down an opportunity to drag someone around with me, I gathered up the “Kuwait Bucket List” that I had amassed from various blogs and lured Mom into the car and off we went!

In hindsight, and in full honesty for any others who are seeking “things to do in Kuwait”, I think we were about 50/50 for finding gems versus germs. The biggest “germ” was the alleged Ahmadi Japanese Garden located on the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) compound.

I had found several references to it on blogs, even as recent as a few months ago, saying how beautiful it was, and how stunning the flowers were and what a little oasis it was. So, always in need of a little oasis stop, I figured it should be at the top of our list. It’s located just off Ring Road 30 on the expansive KOC compound. We drove around the compound loop once and I pulled in to a very empty parking lot where I thought it should be.

We pulled up to a large sign and read out loud, “Bioremediated Soil Park.” After we caught our breath and wiped our laughter-induced tears away, Mom got out to climb over the rubble to just confirm that there was nothing worth seeing.

Once confirmed, we turned around and headed home. When I told my husband that evening, he said, “You took my daughter to a land fill?” “Well, it was supposed to have pretty flowers,” I said. “Welcome to Kuwait,” he said.

Our next germ, and you may notice a trend here for my desperate need for anything nature-related, was to seek out the flamingos. My carpet weaving teacher, Hussain, had casually mentioned that there were hundreds of flamingos on the Gulf up by the hospital complexes. As soon as I heard this I pummeled him for exact directions and times. So one morning, Mom and I grabbed Bean and headed out in search of flamingos. I was so excited; real wildlife!! We drove out on the Gulf Road, merged on to the Coastal Road past the port, and then came to the sea of endless construction. We wound our way through the ever-changing traffic patterns and looked for the entrance to the maternity hospital. Hussain said it was best to head there and park close to the water.

Well, we missed it and in fortuitous fashion, found ourselves at the previously-discovered “Nature Reserve” that wasn’t. So I shared the desolate sandy tumbleweeds with Mom, we took a picture for posterity, and we turned around. Finally, we found the maternity hospital and drove as far towards the water as possible and gazed out with high hopes. Nothing. Not even a seagull. Just bobbing trash. I could just hear that evening's conversation with my husband, “Why do you think there’s anything worth seeing here?” “Because I have high hopes, dear, and a desperate unfulfilled need to commune with nature in a desolate mall-strewn country, that’s why. Now quit being such a poop.” (sigh)

I did have a few failures that weren’t quite germ-worthy, in that I took Mom to see the Heritage Souk and Fabric Souk in the middle of the day and everything was shut. I made an appointment for us to see the Mirror House, then couldn’t find it and missed our appointment. The Grand Mosque and Kuwait Towers both appeared to be under construction and currently not open to visitors. And the building that I though was the Dhow Museum, was actually the Dhow Builders Union headquarters, but we at least got to see some boats.

However, not all of our outings resulted in unmitigated failure. For all our “germs” we actually did find some genuine highly-surprising “gems.” Two of which were the Tareq Ragab museums. There’s the Museum of Islamic Calligraphy, located in Jabriya just across from The New English School, and the Islamic Museum, located a few streets away.

Both cost 2kd per person, but are worth it. And in a highly atypical manner, their website (www.trmkt.com) is actually helpful and informative, offering radical things like a map and hours of operation. The Tareq Ragab Islamic Museum was brimming with items from all over the world. Their collection of musical instruments was like nothing I’d ever seen before. They had thousands and thousands of items of jewelry on display, as well as clothing and ceramics and firearms and thousand-year-old documents. You can also learn how they amazingly managed to hide their collection of over 20,000 pieces from Saddam’s troops during the invasion.

If you don’t have a wiggly one-year-old to deal with, you could easily spend hours here and it would be well worth it. In addition, the Museum of Islamic Calligraphy was equally impressive. My one complaint is that there are fewer labels here, so you don’t know what you’re looking at. The displays are attractive and the calligraphy is beautiful, but it would be nice to have more information. For the items that are labeled, it’s informative and typically interesting. For example, seeing the Qur'an written on palm fronds sewn together into a huge book that’s over 500 years old is pretty impressive.

When we were there, there were only one or two other visitors, however there was also a crew filming in a back corner. Typically this wouldn’t have been an issue, however Bean discovered that the two-story open-style architecture provided excellent acoustics for her to practice her high-pitched dolphin calls. So I kept plying her with rice crackers and spent a lot of time trying to find less-echoey corners for us to explore.

One thing to note that is important for other potential explorers, is that most museums in Kuwait tend to be closed from noon to 4pm every day, which does not mesh well with napping babies, and is annoying on several levels, but we had no choice and adapted accordingly.

The one museum that is not closed for lunch and is actually open from 10am-7pm (Mon-Thurs and Sat, and closed Sun), is the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, which is also worth visiting, plus it’s free. It’s located on Gulf Road, up past the General Assembly building. It’s near the intersection of Gulf and Abdul Aziz Hamad Al Sager Street, and is allegedly in the old hospital building.

When we visited, they had a wonderful exhibit on “Splendors of the Ancient East” with beautiful displays, clear labels (which was such a delight after the post-it labels we found in the Cairo museum) and artifacts we had never seen anywhere else. 

They also have a nice gift shop, which is rare here. There are a few more museums that are still on my bucket list that I will just have to drag my husband to. But overall, I’m pleased with the gems we discovered. There was one more museum that we visited that deserves its own write-up. So, stay tuned for the museum featuring Saddam Hussain’s head.