Desert Girl scanned and emailed me a PDF of a National Geographic issue dating back to 1969 that had a pretty long and comprehensive article on Kuwait. I hate reading articles like this because it just makes Kuwait in the present look slow and untrendy compared to Kuwait in the past (I know I know I should GTFO). The architecture, the lifestyle and the exotic essence seemed to have vanished. I found the picture above of this really beautiful looking villa which I think belonged to Ibrahim Al-Shatti in the article and I was wondering how the villa looks like today. It would be very cool if it was still in excellent condition just like in the picture. If anyone knows where this villa is located or can take a picture of it and email me I can then post it here.
Here is the article [6MB PDF]
23 replies on “Kuwait in National Geographic: May 1969”
thats one funky villa!
the article says he lives in Al- Khaldia, but it be could that back then it was a different area which no longer be there, or moved
Oh check out the house in Teddy B. Day # 191
Thanks Mark for sharing
thanks 🙂
Ah the architecture of the 60’s! How could our grandparents have such modern great taste in their houses, in every turn there is a quirky thing, but their grandchildren would opt for houses that resemble a box with windows?
If i ever get to build a house in Q8… i would want something exactly like the 60’s style house! If you take a drive in Adaliya/Khaldiya/Fay7a/Shuwaikh you can find traces of the old lovely building but sadly they are always demolished or else scarred beyond recognition with kerby’s and ugly things!
I wish i could take my camera around and shoot pictures of the houses remaining before they are all demolished… i don’t know if their owners would be happy though
There is however one lovely villa from the 60’s remaining in a lovely condition… i guess it’s in shuwaikh, it’s big and white and alone and looks like the one above but in much better condition… i am not sure of the street name but there is a traffic light right next to it and whenever i stop i gaze at the house adoringly…
yeah missed those lovely days. thanks for the memories
I love those 60s villas. They have a space age cartoonish design like the Jetsons. In fact, the one in your picture has the Star Trek Logo on the upper right hand side, and it has an exhaust power generator thingy on the left of the entrance. It doesn’t get any cooler than that 🙂
there’s one just like that house in de’eya ( de3eya ! ) .. it just need’s re-painting ,, it would as cool as the one in the pic. !
Mr. Al Shatti tore down his villa and built a new one on the same spot, sorry to dissapoint you.
I’m 90% sure I know where this villa is, It’s on the 4th. ring road highway, right next to a traffic light under a bridge (Give Hawalli your back, start with the highway bridge located at Mubarak hospital, you’ll find it at the second (or maybe third) bridge to your right – right at the corner of the right turn going to downtown Kuwait.
(Too many “rights” I know… sorry)
Like I said I’m 90%+ sure that’s it because I see it everyday when I’m going to work.
those design back in the 60’s , they look good but not practical for Q8 weather , big balconies and such good place to collect dust , most houses closed those with glass and aluminum . or rebuilt from scratch .
People should stick to their heritage and not experiment. Take a look at Santa Fe, New Mexico and see how they preserved their heritage and architecture. Ironically, you find many Santa Fe style houses in Kuwait, I wounder why.
Mr. Al Shatti was sheikh jaber private sec. for over 40 years and still today is a min. in the da.
didnt that “haunted house” on the fahaheel near hawally kinda look like this house ?
There are quite a few houses that still hold that same style but are abandoned -mostly-
Kuwait University – Khaldiya kinda have the same esque 😉 and you are Right Mark… the taste changed that we look slower and un-trendy (and sometimes tasteless or disastrous!). There is a pink bubblegum color house in Jabriya, there is villa akbar as well (https://www.zdistrict.com/2008/08/20/found-the-ugliest-house-in-kuwait-villa-akbar/). Ghena and Salmiya Palaces. Zummoroda with the palm trees is also another example…
Fabulous article. Good digging DG.
GTFO dude
(lol)
My Grandfather’s house in Shamiya still looks like that
Very interesting piece…
Cheers,
Tom
This is the haunted house (ure right J) …its off Fahaheel exressway taking the 4th ring road exit…..theyre building a huge building instead of that house…and from what i hear is that that plot is haunted and maybe that is why the paused the construction on that building!!!
No, it’s not the haunted house, that was a completely different design and larger.
This is a villa in shuwaikh right outside cozmo boiling and starbucks kaifan its the alnafisi dewan.. put the colors are diffrenet same villa though… i personaly would know;)
On the first ring road, near the Sheraton round-about, there is one very close to that. In bad conditions. A real pitty ! Kuwait lost its old historical buildings, and now it is loosing its more recent heritage, that one of the first oil-boom.
hi,,this is our house,,it used to belongs to my father and 2 brothers,,Mohamed,Nasser(my late father) and Faisal Al-Duaijani,,it was built and finished in 1968,,we used to live in Do3’a(Farwaniya now),,and shifted there when i was 5 years old,,
its located at the intersection of the 4th ring road with Damascus street in Al-Rodah,,it was sold to Mr. Al-Mokeazeam(cant recall his first name..sorry) back in 1985,,which i guess he still owned it and rented all to(Ehyaa Al Torath)Society,,
there was some constructions modifications done to it,,cant say it was artistic (they completed the 3rd floor and closed the balconies which really made it lose its futuristic(at that time)looks,,
the villa was also shown in (Tarbiya Wataniya) elementary school book back in 1979 as one of the landmarks of Kuwait,,with my uncle Faisal shown standing in the first floor balcony 😉
The villa just next to it was built and owned by my anti&her husband the late Mr. Jasem Al-3otaiby,,it had the same features (miniature)and it still exist(also with some modifications),,but it was sold directly to Al-Banwan family which i guess they’re still living in it,,
i m sorry i cant recall the architect name who designed it and i’ll try to ask about it and give a feed later,,but from what i recall we and him had big disputes about the mocked copies of the villa,,the one in 3deliya,,and the one in Khaldiya about the exclusivity of design owned rights,,which believe it or not,,was stronger back in the 60’s&70’s than today!!,,
aaahh,,i m 45 years old now,,where did the good old days have gone??!!,,,thanx,,Abdulla