here are some pictures from around kuwait city. i spent a day in the city over the weekend wandering around taking in the sites. we went through the fabric souk and to the indian heritage souk. a souk is a section of stores that all sell the same type of stuff. their is a fabric souk, a computer souk, a shisha (flavored tabacco and the cool looking pipes that go with it) souk, and even a "project" souk where our students could go and have their homework and projects done for them. there are souks and marketplaces with amazing spices and tons of dates. i'll get some pictures the next time i am there. it's really a site to see. the marketplaces are some of the few places in kuwait that really feel like the middle east... everywhere else is like miami or any wealthy cosmopolitain city.
this is a picture of a CBK building from inside the grand mosque. CBK is one of the banks here


picture of a mosque through some palm trees...

 

ok, i'm new to "blogging" so i didn't realize the order that these were going to go in. these are pictures from my grand mosque tour. there is more info on that down a few entries...

if i remember correctly these are verses from the quran at the top of, and around, the door from the sheik's special room to the outside worship area.


the main worship room, and one of my co-workers taking a picture of the dome


what i wear to work everyday... just kidding! this is the only time i've covered up. the black head scarf is a hijab. it's meant to cover all of your hair and your neck and go over your shoulders. mine couldn't quite contain my hair. for the mosque tour women had to wear hijabs and either conservative clothing or robes. it's like how you have to have shoulders and knees covered to go into some cathedrals in europe, just out of respect. also this is one of the only pictures i have of me here and i heard there was some question as to whether or not i was really in kuwait and actually taking these pictures... hopefully this will put those rumors to rest :) 

more elaborate tiles from inside the mosque


this is one of several chandeliers in the sheik's special little room, off to the side of the main worship area. this was one of the most ornate, elaborate rooms i have ever seen. i believe this room is used for the sheik to wait in/entertain special guests in before going in to join worshipping.


designs from the ceiling of the sheik's room


and let's not forget the plasma flat screen... there were two of them... 

jeff taking a picture of me taking a picture of him... he's in the muslim equivalent of the pulpit (not sure what it's called in islam)

close up of the tile design from above 

view of the outside worship area. during ramadan this whole space will be full, with overflow going across the street as well. it's divided down the middle with men on one side and women on the other. our tour guide told us that it was divided so that people would not be distracted or embarassed by the possibility of someone of the opposite gender touching them or seeing them while worshipping. the position of worship is kind of kneeling and bowed over, so i guess that's a valid reason because butts are sort of in the air!


some of the elaborate tile work inside of the mosque. one of the main decorative theories is that patterns have no discernable end or beginning. the aesthetic of beauty here is pretty ornate. you see it in the fashion as well as the mosques.


picture of the inside of the dome. i believe the writing is the 99 names for allah... don't quote me on that though.
 

a few weekends ago a went on a tour of the grand mosque in kuwait city. the school had a bus to take any staff that wanted to go. it's kind of rare to get to go inside a mosque because you aren't supposed to enter one if you aren't muslim unless you are invited by someone who is muslim. some mosques give tours (like the grand mosque) but they aren't very frequent. very different from visiting cathedrels in europe.


this is a view of the mosque from out in front. i couldn't fit all of it in one frame, but this is the covered inside worship area. to the right of this section is more of an open air, court yard-like worship area where the overflow from the inside goes (there is especially overflow during ramadan)



 

well, i've been in kuwait for almost two months now so i figure it's about time i get my act together and have a place for everyone to see my photos. here are some of the neighborhood i live in. i took these all from the roof of my apartment building. my building is eight stories high, and i live on the second floor. so i don't have the best view from my window but from the roof, on a clear day you can see the gulf.



kuwait's own big dig! just kidding... although there is a good amount of construction happening around the high ways. the white building behind the road is a mosque.


this is one of the land marks we give to food delivery guys to help them find the building... i'm not quite sure what viewpoint is or was, but i thought it was kind of a cool looking sign.


the "green" mosque. this is a really beautiful mosque that is right by the school and my building. it lights up at night with strings of lights going from the spires to the dome. it's very cool looking, i'll try to get a picture of it. this is also the mosque that i can (sometimes) hear the call to worships from.


the dirt lot/car graveyard that i cut through on the way to work. it's essentially a big sand/dirt public parking lot. they also tow some busted up cars there because it's across from the police station.