The Museums and Cultural Centres

Kuwait has invested considerably in culture, and its museums and cultural centres offer a rewarding window into the nation's heritage, art and rapid transformation. The Tareq Rajab Museum houses a superb private collection of Islamic art, calligraphy, ceramics, jewellery and manuscripts, while the Kuwait National Museum tells the story of the country's Bedouin and pearling past, though it still bears scars from the 1990-91 Gulf War. Grand modern institutions like the vast Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre and the Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Centre showcase science, history and the arts, and the green Al Shaheed Park blends memorial, museums and landscaped gardens.

What you actually see

• The Tareq Rajab Museum - the fine collection of Islamic art.
• The Kuwait National Museum - the Bedouin and pearling heritage.
• The modern cultural centres - the grand new science and arts institutions.
• Al Shaheed Park - the landscaped park, memorial and museums.

When to go

November to March, the cooler season, for the most comfortable time to explore, as Kuwait's summers are extreme, though the air-conditioned museums are a comfortable refuge any time. The green Al Shaheed Park is especially pleasant to stroll in the cooler months and in the evening.

Honest expectations

Kuwait's cultural offerings are worthwhile but relatively low-key for casual tourists, appealing most to those interested in Islamic art, history and the country's heritage rather than blockbuster attractions, and the National Museum in particular still shows damage from the Gulf War. As a rewarding window into Kuwait's Bedouin and pearling past, its fine Islamic art and its ambitious modern cultural investment, though, along with the pleasant Al Shaheed Park, the museums add real depth to a visit.

Nearby

The Kuwait Towers, the souq and the Grand Mosque are within the city.