Failaka Island

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Failaka Island (Arabic: جزيرة فيلكة‎ jazīrät failakä) is an island that belongs to Kuwait in the Persian Gulf. The island is 20 km off the coast of Kuwait City in the Persian Gulf.

[edit] History

During the Dilmun era (from ca. 3000 BC), which saw the establishment of neighboring Bahrain, the island of Failaka was already developing its own unique culture and religious pantheon. Worship of the sun appears to have been practiced (see Shamash). Human sacrifice may also have taken place.

In the 3rd century BC, during Alexander the Great's advance through the region on his way to India, the ancient Greeks colonized the island, which they named Icarus, after the island of a similar shape off the Greek coast. Some elements of Greek mythology mixed with the local cults.

The island was inhabited through the seventh or eighth century AD. It is unknown when the island was settled in modern times. For recent archaeological activities at Failaka visit the website of Kuwaiti-Slovak Archaeological Mission (KSAM) [1].

Prior to the Iraqi Invasion, the island had over two thousand residents and several schools. The village of Az Zawr is situated near the middle of the northwest side of the island. It was the longest continuously inhabited location in Kuwait. During 1990 and 1991, the invading Iraqis depopulated the island, expelling all of its residents to the mainland. The Iraqi military mined the beaches and used the island's facilities and buildings for target practice. In 1991, the allied forces forced the Iraqi army forces occupying the island to surrender through bombing and psywar operations [2]. The sewage system was destroyed and has yet to be fully repaired. Also, many old homes continue to sit empty and decaying. Bullet holes can still be seen.

After the war, Failaka was cleared of mines, but it remains under military use. A visit of the island requires a special pass. Nevertheless, Failaka Island is becoming a popular holiday destination from Kuwait City. The ferry Ikarus, which takes passengers out to the island, now symbolizes escape from the summer city heat to the pleasant evening sea breezes.

[edit] Climate, geography and the future

Failaka Island is located in the northern part of the Persian Gulf. Springtime on Failaka Island is regarded as particularly special by Kuwaitis. Failaka has quite a different ecosystem to mainland Kuwait, and its budding flowers and changing temperatures are much appreciated. Although the island's infrastructure remains poor, Failaka is beginning to develop a local tourist industry; it provides fishing, boating, swimming, sailing and water sports.

The few remaining local residents are mostly those Failakawans who lived with their families on the island prior to the Iraqi Invasion of 1990. Most Failakawans have their own boats and some are involved in tourism, but many are reticent about letting tourism detract from the quiet island life. Some Failakawan families, although now living in mainland Kuwait, regularly go to the island at weekends.

On the mainland, in Kuwait city, there have been various schemes to build a bridge to the island and make it a vacation paradise, as has been done in Bahrain.

As of 2005, most of the war damage has been repaired. The museum and archaeological sites (the Ikarus and Azuk temple sites) are planned to re-open. Some sporadic archaeological work has restarted on the island, with the discovery of 18th-century Portuguese, and later British, fortifications. A new hotel resort has encouraged many of the improvements.