Kuwaiti Research and Studies Center

I have a passion for searching between the historical passages and the documents they contain that depict this history since the death of my late father Abdullah Al-Othman and his inexhaustible archive of ancient historical documents, which simulate a golden age documenting the commercial movement and the origins of codification and accounting. During my research and reading of books and publications that simulate ancient Kuwaiti history, I came across a book titled "Landmarks of the Old City of Kuwait", specifically its’ fifth part, that was issued by the Kuwaiti Research and Studies Center. This center is well-known due to the great role it plays in documenting the history and civilization of Kuwait and preserving special facts that have become outdated. Referring to the chronological age of this center, it was established shortly after the issuance of Emiri Decree No. 178/1992 as the main national source for science and knowledge of the history of Kuwait and its political, social, and heritage affairs, in addition to preparing in-depth scientific research. In the context of researching and delving into the publications prepared by the Center, they are divided into three sections, the first of which is "books related to the period of the Iraqi occupation," the second is "books that chronicle and establish Kuwaiti existence", and the third is "books related to Kuwaiti personalities and landmarks". In this section, the book "Landmarks of the Old City of Kuwait" is located in its five parts. Perhaps the most prominent thing that caught my attention and prompted me to dive into its details was an article written about the Al-Othman School, dealing with the history of the school’s founding in 1931 and its geographical location on the Ibn Daij road near Al-Faris Mosque, based on the school’s expense lists and documents in the family archives, in addition to relying on the book "School Al-Othman", which I prepared in 2012, as we had talked about in the previous article. The book "Landmarks of the Old City of Kuwait", which was prepared and presented by a working group of researchers and scholars in history, geography, and heritage under the supervision of Dr. Abdullah Yousef Al-Ghunaim, Head of the Kuwaiti Research and Studies Center, is considered one of the most important books that talks about the history and civilization of Kuwait. The first part of it was published in 2020, and the idea of preparing it was launched in order to achieve the vision of the Research and Studies Center in reviving the landmarks of the old city of Kuwait, with all its neighborhoods, houses, streets, markets, alleys, walls, wells, etc., after it was demolished and destroyed for the project «Development and modernization of the city». In view of the aspirations of the Center for Studies and in order to achieve its primary goal of defining the present and future generations, who did not live with this history, and in compensation for that historical loss, this center decided to form a team of researchers specialized in the features of the city and the ancient villages, to prepare this book in a scientific and systematic manner, and to present this city and its features. Based on an archive of legal documents, old government records, photos, and maps, in addition to what the center provides, there is a service that is unique to it that many may not know, which is the restoration of old papers and documents. I delivered them a document that dates to my uncle Mahmoud Al Jarah, which dates to 65 years ago. Since this document was folded and surrounded by a red ribbon, I could not open it and see its contents due to the age and dryness of the paper, which has become as delicate as the "drabil" sheets. My plan was to send that document to one of the specialized centers in America, and their fees were very high, and by chance I know that our research center in Kuwait provides that service for free, so I handed them that document and awaiting the result, and I expect it to be finished after a few weeks, and I will inform you of the result. In view of the importance of this scientific and historical work, I join my voice with those in charge of the center, appealing to government agencies and the people to extend a helping hand and provide the center with the documents and archives they possess, so that this part and the previous and subsequent parts constitute a unique historical and geographical guide and guide for Kuwait City.

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