Falaika Island

Introduction

Failaka Island is a prominent archaeological site situated in Kuwait in the Persian Gulf. Derived from the ancient Greek outpost ‘fylakio’, Failaka is pronounced ‘Failacha’ in the local dialect (Gordon, 1996). Due its proximity to a submarine that joins Kuwait, it facilitates access to sweet water and electricity to its occupants. From the east of Kuwait, the Island covers 20km while the distance between it and the southern tip of Iraq is 50km.Serving as a major tourist destination in the country, Failaka Island has attractive scenery entailing a combination of Kuwait’s history and modernity (Nawara, 2012). Within its environs, various mines used by the military are basic components of its antiquity. In addition, specimens from the Dilmun Civilization of the Bronze Age (Michael, 1994) and the ancient archaeological remnants of different races that inhabited the area are intriguing tourist attraction points. Springtime is the best season for tourists to visit Failaka Island because of the gentle breezes, vibrant flora, favorable weather conditions and tolerable temperatures.

The growing infrastructure in the island is characterized by Heritage Village which provides attracts visitors with the hospitable services provided and the remarkable ambience. There are horse rides, a museum, and a farm with domestic animals, local handicrafts sold in small stores, paddleboats, canoes and a newly developed mini golf course. The beautiful local handicrafts comprise of ceramics, jewelry, pottery and other artifacts. The Heritage Village has food joints where tourists or visitors can eat and relax. The military graveyard on the northern part is a good memorial site to pay respect to the fighters who struggled in the reclamation of the island. Remains of the different types of armor used provide evidence of the war.

Historical Events

The history of Failaka can be traced back to the inhabitation of the Greeks who arrived in the area in the 4^th century BC. Sent by Nearchus, an admiral of Alexander the Great, the Greeks ventured into Failaka in the form of a garrison. They made the island a colony and dwelled in Failaka for two centuries but while on the island, they originally termed it ‘Icaria’ or ‘Ikaros.’ The root of the term was in the myth of the hero Icarus and the Greek Island situated in the Aegean Sea. The Bronze Age Dilmun civilization is marked as major historical event mainly in Bahrain Failaka Island (Michael, 1994). The Bronze Age refers to the period when the culture of the Dilmun became apparently abundant in the islands of the Arabian Gulf.

The Iraqi invasion in 1990 and 1991 dispersed and drove the original inhabitants of Failaka Island out of the area. Before the invasion, most inhabitants in Kuwait had settled in the village of Az Zawr, northwest of Falaika (Gordon, 1996). However, the invasion depopulated most residents. They turned the beaches into mines and destroyed Kuwaiti’s scenic infrastructure that was earlier established. The buildings and facilities were manipulated for target practice. Fortunately, Kuwaiti conquered the battle through bombing by allied forces and pushed the Iraqis out of the island and its government sponsored the resettlement of the original population in the mainland. Some of the extremely damaged properties provide memorable archaeological sites that explain the events. The team also emphasized the exclusion of historical sites and areas from any type of modernization before it is through with the archaeological research.

Future Projects

Falaika Island presents a unique cultural heritage of its earlier inhabitants and reflects an important historical background that should be treasured. Therefore, the archaeological evidence in the island should be recognized and appreciated. According to Nawara (2012), the Kuwaiti-Polish Archaeological Mission conducted a number of surveys and asserted the importance of Failaka in archaeological evidence. The press conference held on 4 July this year focused on salvaging the archaeological sites through a future program as suggested by the members. The research projects formulated by the team include surveys of gravesites and their catalogue, exploration of gravesites endangered by construction activities inspection of the network used for old wells and exploration of pre-historic sites. All these fieldwork activities will aid in writing a comprehensive history of culture for people in the modern world to learn and appreciate.

The Kuwait Failaka Island Project (KFIP) is an initiative that government intends to implement. The core objective of the project is to upgrade the status of Failaka Island to an outstanding tourist destination with a state of the art image (Moath, 2012). Earlier improvements in the area such as the Heritage Village are evident but the Kuwait government is determined to indulge in further developments. Archaeological sites and the area’s cultural heritage are deemed essential and the government advocates for their preservation through the project. Therefore, the cultural heritage will be incorporated in tourist and leisure facilities such as hotels. Development of a commercial town within that will offer food and beverages and other business activities also features in the plan. As the year progresses, the government through the project plans to establish industrial developments which will also be beneficial to the area. With an aim of connecting the island to the mainland, various schemes of building a bridge have also been considered. Hence, the project portrays a double effect of preservation of culture and economic development.

Work Cited

Fattahova, Nawara. “Failaka ‘a treasure land’ for archaeological excavations – Polish experts dig on land.” Kuwait Times 5 July 2012. Print.

Hussain, Moath. Kuwait Failaka Island Development. Partnerships Technical Bureau, 2012. Web. 5 July 2012.

Rice, Michael. The Archeology of the Arabian Gulf, C. 5000-323 BC: The Experience of archaeology Microwave Technology Series. Routledge, 1994. Print

Robinson, Gordon. Arab Gulf States: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia & the United Arab Emirates 2^nd Ed. Lonely Planet, 1996. Print.