Kuwait City

Kuwait City

Kuwait City is Kuwait's capital and largest city, in the heart of the country, on the Persian Gulf, on the southern shore of the Kuwait Bay. The emirate's political, cultural and economic center, it is home to Kuwait's Seif Palace, government offices and most Kuwaiti companies and banks. In summer, it is one of the hottest cities on earth, with three months of the year having an average summer peak temperature of over 45°C. Founded in 1613, Kuwait was a fishing village inhabited by fishermen. The Bani Utub settled in Kuwait in 1716, when they arrived Kuwait was still populated by a handful of fishermen and was functioning primarily as a fishing village. In the 18th century, Kuwait thrived and quickly became the main commercial hub for the transit of goods between India, Muscat, Baghdad and Arabia. By around the mid-1700s, Kuwait had become the main trade route from the Persian Gulf to Aleppo. Following the development of Kuwait's oil industry after the Second World War, Kuwait experienced rapid growth. The city is home to a number of luxury apartments, parks and gardens. The University of Kuwait was founded in 1966, and the city's historical museum houses artefacts from Faylakah Island. When Kuwait was invaded and occupied by Iraq between August 1990 and February 1991, many of the city's residents fled the country. Kuwait City suffered extensive destruction to buildings and infrastructure, but following the war, Kuwaitis returned to their capital and rebuilt much of the city.