Failaka Island

Failaka Island is located in the northwest of the Persian Gulf and is the most visited area in Kuwait. The island has an area of 43 km². It is located 20 km from the mainland, at the entrance to the Gulf of Kuwait. The first traces of human habitation on Failaka Island date back to the Stone Age. Today, tourists are offered an equipped beach of Vanas, ancient Greek ruins, a camel farm, as well as numerous reminders of the Iraqi occupation of 1991, left for the edification of posterity.

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Video: Failaka Island

Contents

Highlights

Failaka Island is located 20 kilometers east of the mainland, near the Gulf of Kuwait, off the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Failaka has an elongated shape, the island reaches 14 km in length and 6 km in width. The terrain is flat. The territory of Failaka Island is recognized as an archaeological site. Failaka is recognized as an archaeological reserve.

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Residents of El Kuwait and tourists arrive here by ferry. On the island is pleasant to spend time with the family: you can rent bicycles, ride horses, feed camels on the farm, fishing, pedal a catamaran, scuba diving or sailing on a yacht.

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A couple of hours is enough for sightseeing on Failaka Island. It is worth going to the ancient temples of Ikaros and Azuc, as well as visiting excavation sites. There is also a Historical Museum on the island.

Failaka Island is justifiably proud of its central beach. Wanasa Beach is lined with white sand. The water is clear and clean, the entrance is gentle, the bottom is also sandy. The beach has a developed tourist infrastructure, offers water entertainment, cafes.

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History of Failaka Island

Already in the III millennium BC, the island of Failaka was inhabited by representatives of the Dilmun civilization. Remains of ancient ships, ancient coins and seals were discovered on Failaka. The island played an important role in trade – the routes of Mesopotamia, Persia, India, as well as African and Mediterranean countries crossed here.

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In the 4th century BC, the garrison of Nearchus, a general and navigator, an associate of Alexander the Great, was based on the island. The Greeks colonized Failaka and lived here for two centuries. The island was uninhabited in the seventh through eighteenth centuries.

Then life on the island flowed in a measured fashion for centuries. In 1773, the village of Ez-Zaur was founded in the northwest. By the end of the 20th century, the island had 2,000 inhabitants.

In 1990-1991

In 1990-1991. Iraq invaded Kuwait and expelled the population of Failaki to the mainland. The island became an Iraqi training ground. At the end of the Gulf War, the island was demined, but continued to be used for military purposes – this time by the United States.

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Fortunately, excavations uncovered valuable artifacts, the ruins of a Portuguese and British fort, and the island was once again peaceful, becoming a great place to tour.

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Where to stay

There is only one hotel on Failaka Island – Hotel Failaka Heritage Village. It is rated 3*. The government plans to actively develop the island in the near future, but this idea has many opponents who fear that Failaka will lose its identity.

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How to get there

The country’s only air gateway that receives international flights is Kuwait Airport (KWI). It is located 15 km from the center of El Kuwait. Immediately from the airport, or later from the capital will need to get to the port of Ras Al Ard, landmark – Marina Mall. There are buses here, as well as regular cabs. The trip to Failaka Island by ferry will take 1 hour, the ticket costs $15.

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