From the Eifel Tower in Paris to the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, many major cities in the world each boast of their own remarkable colossal landmark looking down over them. In the State of Kuwait, they have 3; the Kuwait Towers located in the capital city of Kuwait.
Location
The Kuwait Towers are situated at the Arabian Gulf Road in Kuwait City’s Sharq district.
What to See There
The most famous landmark in Kuwait City, the Kuwait Towers is comprised of 3 immense towers built out of reinforced concrete. The foremost of these is the Main Tower, which soars at a height of 187 meters above sea level, and serves as both a water tower and a restaurant. There are actually a number of eateries in the tower, including Ofok Restaurant, which is positioned 82 meters above sea level. Ofok Restaurant offers a breakfast buffet for ladies from 8:00 to 10:00 AM (except for Fridays and holidays), a lunch buffet from 12:30 to 3:30 PM, and a dinner buffet for families from 7:30 to 11:30 PM. Also found in the Main Tower is Le Cafe, which serves Kuwaiti, oriental and western dishes by request on weekdays (except on Thursdays and Fridays) from 8:00 AM to 11:30 PM. The Main Tower also has a ballroom, the Dasman, which has a 50-person seating capacity and is reserved for private parties and business functions. Another feature of the Main Tower is the Viewing Sphere, which is elevated 120 meters above sea level, and makes a full 360-degree rotation every 30 minutes. Open on weekends from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM, there are telescopes installed so that visitors may have a view of the Kuwaiti cityscape as the sphere makes its turn. There is also an area with a cafeteria and a gift shop within the sphere. The Middle Tower stretches to a height of 147 meters above sea level, and serves as a water tank capable of holding 1 million gallons of water. The Small Tower is the shortest of the 3 structures, but is impressive nonetheless at a height of 113 meters above sea level. This tower is charged with supplying electricity to the other 2 towers, as well as to certain parts of Kuwait City.
History
Designed by Swedish architects Sune Lindstrom and Malene Bjorn, and built by Yugoslavian company Energoprojekt, the Kuwait Towers were constructed in 1975 and inaugurated on March 1979. The design of the towers has also been credited to Palestinian engineer Sadeq Saffarini, who aimed to rebuild the city of Kuwait following Saddam Hussein’s occupation in 1991.
Other info
For bookings and inquiries, the Kuwait Towers can be reached through the telephone numbers 2 444 057 and 2 444 046, by fax at 2 444 139, or via e-mail at info@kuwaittowers.com. For more information on the Kuwait Towers, log on to their official website, www.kuwaittowers.com.
