3. Types of Kuwaiti Houses — Large Houses on the Kuwaiti Sea-Front: * Beit Al-Badir (5 courts) * Beit Al-Ghanim (3 courts) — Small Houses Away from the Kuwaiti Sea-Front: * Beit Fahad Al-Askar (1 court) Beit Al-badir Beit Al-Ghanim Beit Fahad Al-Askar
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5. Beit Al-Badir: — One of the big houses on the sea front. — Constructed in 1827-1847. Total area = 3020 m 2 . — It consists of 5 courts: 1. Reception Court 2. Kitchen Court 3. Animal Court 4. Living Court 5. Business Court
6. — The whole house from the outside is blank plaster wall surface. — Few doorways (treated grandly or neutrally according to their function). — There are rarely windows looking outside. The only window is from ( dar um dereesha ) in which the household relaxes alone or with his friends during the afternoon. This window allows him to supervise the beach. Other openings are small ornated grills located high on the wall (for ventilation). — In the front façade, facing the sea, has a row of masonry benches penetrating them the doors to business court ( housh al amara ), and the grand entrance to the men’s reception on the right (which is recessed for shadow). Beit Al-Badir:
7. — A fine Persian ornamented half dome on top of the door. This shows the level of skills in conception and execution which suggest the hand of a master craftsman, or an architect.
9. 1.1 Liwan (ridha, dehleez) — This liwan is a long entrance passage ( 15m), lined on each side by masonry sitting benches ( decha ), and leading to al housh. — A storage room was connected with this ridha , and occupied by the guards.
10. 1.2 Loggia ( Liwan or shurfah ) : — A passage way little wider than the entrance (4 m). — High ceiling — Columns of beautiful decoration (Persian influence).
11. 1.3 al majlis (al dar al murabba’ah) — The main door for hosting men. — Between loggia and the storage room. — Has 3 pairs of doors opening to the loggia ( liwan ). — Has small window to the entrance ( ridha ). — Recessed openings,with decoration on the sides ( roshina ).
12. — The roof is made similar to the other rooms in this house. — All the large rooms are narrow and long due to the fact that these beams can not extend beyond 3.6 m. If the width is to be extended then another beam (3.6m) is placed along with the other beam over a column. (These beams are very expensive).
13. 1.4 Men’s Reception (dar um dereesha) — Used for relaxation away from formality and usually used as dining. — Similar decoration. — Has a window to the sea , and when the door is open, and through a lower window on the wall facing the room, the person could see the courtyard.
14. 1.5 Coffee Preparing Room ( um al lewaag ) — 8m x 3.3m — Hearth ( duwwa ) on the center of its south-east wall. — Servants are on standby for their masters commands. * The rest of the rooms are either bedrooms, storages, or bathrooms, all facing the central court. * Notice the bircha in the middle of the court, used for water storage (rain water) located underground, and covered by masonry kerb.
15. * There are 4 doors: — The main door, grand entrance. — Small door leading to the back street. — Door to the kitchen court and animal court. — Door to the stables (now it is closed).
16. 2. Kitchen Court ( housh al matbakh ) * Between the entrance court and the haram court. * It has water well with high masonry frame ( jeleeb ). * The main kitchen room whose light is only through the door which is left open all times. * Next to the room is large storage room ( dar al chail ) used for storing wood and coal. * Very busy place because of the size of the family.
17. 3. Animal Court ( housh al ghanam ) * It has only one door from the kitchen court. * Sheep and goats (and rarely cows) but it is called sometimes ( beit al bogar ). * Every sunrise, animals were taken for grazing. * The only way they can leave is through the kitchen court and then the entrance court. Other houses has its own door. * Dar al sa’aaf was a shaded room to keep animals cool.
18. 4. Haram Court ( housh al haram ) * Here is where women and children spend their time. * From the kitchen court there is a door which opens to an entrance and then to the court ( dereeb or midribaab ). Above this door there is a room for the head servants. * The door to the outside is through a curved entrance for privacy.
20. * Each bedroom has recessed walls as useful shelves, and on top of them there are grills for cross ventilation. * Behind this door is a wing containing three rooms: 1. In the middle, a large room for reception full of decorations and grill openings. 2. Small room for coffee preparation. 3. Room for relaxation of the housewife. * The other rooms in the NE direction have no loggia protecting them for the afternoon sun.
21. * In the middle of the court there is bercha and a tree ( sidrah ) and rooms for the following: 1. Household, wife, and children. 2. Adult male 3. Adult female 4. Grandfather and grandmother * The only stairs to the roof is in the haram court where the household and his family spend their summer nights on the roof. * There is a room on the roof with doors and windows for ventilation. * Roof parapet toward the court is “hit and miss” bricks, but the parapet facing the street has bagdir .
22. 5. Business Court ( al amarah ) * For business deal and storages. * The entrance from the sea front through huge door close to the main entrance of the reception court. * Here, all goods and animals are kept. Also the sails of the ships were stored under awning next to the entrance. * Next to this shaded area two rooms used as kitchen and bathroom . It is also believed that they were used for storing animals because of the deep recessed wall which can be used for feed animals (horses and camel). * The long room was the main stable.
23. * In the NE, highly decorated room (as office). * It is connected with the kitchen court through small entrance. * Whole courts were paved by baked lime bricks or tiles from Iraq. Inside the rooms the tiles are shiny using lime plaster.
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26. Other Houses on the Sea Front * Al-Ghanim house (Kuwait Society of Arts - al marsam al hour ). * Al-Nasf house (one single court) so it is strictly within smaller houses category but it is very finely built and decorated. Large Houses away from the Sea Front * Very few significant differences between the sea-front and those in other parts of Kuwait. * Similar concept of courtyards and rooms. Smaller Houses * The essential difference is in the performance of all the functions of the house around a single courtyard. * Required care from the women who should retreat whenever a stranger is coming. * Sometimes clever planning made it possible for whole visitors without disturbing the life of the family.
27. Beit Fahad Al-Askar: * The entire house is a rectangular of 10m x 15m. * All rooms are raised 30-50 cm. * Main entrance is in the SW and a rear or private entrance in SE corner. * When first built, there were no openings to the outside apart from the two doorways. You can notice the considerable height of the ceiling: while the width is only 2.6m, the height is 4m!! * Not only there was no windows to the outside, but also there was no windows to the inside. The only way for daylight is through the high doors (up to 3m).
28. * Later there was addition of a roof room similar to Behbehni type of windows and wind catcher. * From the entrance there is an entrance hall ( dehleez ). * Kitchen is next to it with well and washing place surrounded by a kerb. * Yakhour for animal storage, and bathroom and lavatory. * The long room is storage and workroom. * Stairways to the roof. kitchen Diwanyyah Yakhour Bathrooms storage Jeleeb
