Architecture

Kuwait's architecture is largely inspired by Islamic architecture. The most prominent landmark in country, the Kuwait Towers, were designed by Swedish architect Sune Lindström and are a unique blend of traditional minaret and modern architectural designs.

The National Assembly of Kuwait, another famous landmark building, was designed by the famous Danish architect Jørn Utzon and completed in 1982.

Visual Arts

In Kuwait, as in many Islamic countries, the art of calligraphy is one of the most long-standing and thriving forms of expression. Arabic calligraphy is considered to be the ultimate expression of god's words.

Because in traditional Islam sculptural and figurative forms of art were perceived as idolatry, calligraphy was considered an acceptable, alternative form of art and expression.

Music

Kuwait's musical traditions were well-recorded until the Gulf War, when Iraq invaded the country and destroyed the archive. Nevertheless, Kuwait has retained a vital music industry, both long before the war and after.

Kuwaiti music reflects the diverse influences of many peoples on the culture of Kuwait, including East African and Indian music.Kuwait is known as the centre, along with Bahrain for sawt, a bluesy style of music made popular in the 1970s by Shadi al Khaleej (the Bird Song of the Gulf).

Nabil Shaeil and Abdullah El Rowaished are the most popular modern sawt performers, who include influences from techno and Europop in their music; Kuwaiti sawt musicians are well-known across the Gulf region.Other popular groups include the long-running Al-Budoor Band.

ClothingIn

Kuwait's urban centres, Western-style clothing is becoming popular, particularly with young people. However, many Kuwaitis still wear traditional Arab clothing. Most Kuwaiti men wear a dishdasha, a floor length robe with a centre front opening which is put on over the head. The headdress of the Kuwaiti male consists of three parts.

The gutra is a square piece of cloth which is folded into a triangle and then placed centrally on the head so that the ends hang down equally over the shoulders. It is held in place by an ogal, a double circlet of twisted black cord, which is placed firmly over the head. Often a gahfiyah, a close-fitting skull cap, is worn under the gutra to stop it from slipping.

Many Kuwaiti women dress in western clothes. However their traditional clothing, such as the thobe (a straight-sided long overdress), is still used on festive occasions. Women are veiled according to Islamic law.

When in public many local women cover their chic western clothing with an abha, a head-to-toe silky black cloak. Bedouin women may also wear a burqa, a short black veil which leaves the eyes and forehead exposed, or occasionally a bushiya, a semi-transparent veil which covers the entire face.

The hijab, or Islamic headscarf, which conceals the hair while leaving the face unveiled, is worn by many Kuwaiti and expatriate Muslim women. Both men and women love perfume and wear it most of the time.