It has been a while since my last posting so this one is going to be long. Get your popcorn ready!!
Yes, I had to wear a hijab while touring the Mosque. I thought it was going to be heavy and hot but it was actually rather cool and free flowing.
The picture below is the Prophet Muhommad's name using calligraphy.
"Bismillah Allahu Arbar" meaning God is the Greatest. This one was my favorite of them all.
A minaret is a tall tower the muezzen climbs to call the Muslims to prayer.
Failaka Island is an island of Kuwait that was attacked by Iraq during Desert Storm. There is an area of the island that is left in ruins with a few of our tanks and other machinery.
Here is a bank that was attacked and robbed during the attack. Kuwait had to change their official currency because so much of their money was stolen by Iraqi Troops.
Beautiful sunset view from the island. It was so impressive in person. We were able to see the skyline eclipsing the sun as it set. Priceless if I say so myself.
Since my last posting, I've been able to actually be a tourist in Kuwait and see a few sights. Instead of leaving the country during my first Eid al-Adha holiday, I decided to do a stay-cation. For those that don't know what a stay-cation is, it's a vacation spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.
Oh let me explain what Eid al-Adha is. Eid al-Adha, also called Feast of the Sacrifice, is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to honor the willingness of the prophet Abraham to sacrifice his young first-born son Ishmael as an act of submission to God's command and his son's acceptance to being sacrificed, before God intervened to provide Abraham with a ram to sacrifice instead. Affluent Muslims who can afford sacrifice their best halal domestic animals as a symbol of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his only son. The meat from the sacrificed animal is divided into three parts. The family retains one third of the share; another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors; and the other third is given to the poor and needy. The regular charitable practices of the Muslim community are demonstrated during Eid al-Adha by concerted efforts to see that no impoverished person is left without an opportunity to partake in the sacrificial meal during these days.
It was a true culture shock to see trucks full of sheep or rams on the road headed to various households. All I could think was poor little baby sheep.
The school's elementary students did an awesome job depicting the annual Hajj.
Now to my stay-cation!!! I checked into Hotel Ibis in Kuwait City so that I could be close to the two things I love about the city, the seaside and the architecture.
The skyline is beautiful at night. Below are pictures from one of the many malls in the city. I truly believe this country has more malls than any place I've ever traveled to.
Me and a few other teachers took a guided tour of the Grand Mosque of Kuwait. The art and woodwork inside the Mosque is beautiful. The pictures that I took provides no justice for them. The calligraphy art pieces are very intricate and has great meaning. There are no images or statues inside a mosque. They are decorated with patterns and words from the Qu'ran, hence the calligraphy.
During my stay-cation, I took a ride to Failaka Island.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my adventures in Kuwait. Please feel free to post a comment in the section below. Hopefully there isn't a huge gap in between my next posting.
As-salamu alaykum
