Postage stamps preserve Kuwait’s architectural history, says Sheikha Hala Bader Al-Mohammad
- Exhibition documents more than 130 Kuwaiti buildings and streets through stamps and postcards
- Postage stamps capture Kuwait’s urban development and condense its history– Al-Ballam
The Times Kuwait Report
Sheikha Hala Bader Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, honorary member of the Kuwaiti Philatelic and Numismatic Society, said postage stamps and postcards are important historical records of Kuwait, documenting buildings, places and events that form part of the country’s collective memory.
She also called for greater efforts to preserve heritage buildings, restore those that can be saved and convert some into museums and historical sites that could attract visitors to Kuwait.
She was peaking at the opening of the “Urban Renaissance in Kuwait Through Stamps and Postcards” exhibition, organized by the Kuwaiti Philatelic and Numismatic Society.
The exhibition features a personal collection by society Vice Chairman Hisham Qasim Al-Ballam, documenting more than 130 Kuwaiti buildings and streets and highlighting aspects of the country’s architectural and heritage history.
Stamps preserve Kuwait’s memory
Sheikha Hala said the exhibition demonstrates how postage stamps have helped preserve an important part of Kuwait’s history by documenting old buildings and major events. Postcards have also preserved photographs and scenes of places, some of which no longer exist.
“Postage stamps have proven that these buildings existed, and we hope officials will take notice of them and look for them because they are part of our history,” she said. Some of the buildings have been demolished, she noted, while others are still standing but require restoration.
Sheikha Hala stressed the importance of restoring and reviving heritage buildings, suggesting that some could be converted into museums and historical sites for tourists and people interested in Kuwait’s history. Such buildings, she said, provide tangible evidence of important stages in the country’s development.
Buildings lost from Kuwait’s memory
Sheikha Hala expressed regret over the loss of a number of old buildings that were once part of everyday life in Kuwait. Some of the buildings displayed at the exhibition reminded her of her childhood, she said, but no longer exist.
She cited Shuwaikh Secondary School as an example, recalling distinctive features such as its globe, along with other buildings that were removed for various reasons. Preserving and restoring what remains, she stressed, is a responsibility linked to protecting Kuwait’s national memory.
Kuwait in its early years relied on limited resources, “with nothing but the land and the sea,” she said. Buildings constructed during that period therefore provide important evidence of the country’s development and urban renaissance.
Call to preserve heritage buildings
Sheikha Hala called for greater attention from the authorities to old buildings, particularly those that can still be restored. Preserving and rehabilitating them could help introduce younger generations to Kuwait’s history while strengthening the role of Kuwaiti heritage as a cultural and tourism attraction.
She noted that some old buildings featured distinctive architectural designs and that Kuwait had, at different stages, brought in engineers from abroad to design a number of its facilities. This, she said, makes the buildings an important part of the history of Kuwait’s urban development.
She said the exhibition’s main message is the need to preserve archaeological and heritage buildings that form an integral part of Kuwait’s memory, history and heritage. The effort, she stressed, should go beyond documenting these buildings through photographs and postage stamps to saving, restoring and finding new uses for those that can still be preserved, while maintaining their identity.
Stamps document Kuwait’s urban renaissance
Hisham Qasim Al-Ballam, Vice Chairman of the Kuwaiti Philatelic and Numismatic Society, said a postage stamp represents the “identity and symbol of every country” and serves as an important historical document through which the stages of a country’s urban, cultural and tourism development can be traced.
Speaking on the sidelines of the opening of his solo exhibition documenting Kuwait’s urban renaissance, Al-Ballam said the collection uses stamps and postcards to highlight Kuwait’s urban development from the late 1950s and early 1960s, including the transformation of its buildings, streets and landmarks.
The exhibition also documents a number of buildings that were later demolished. “But stamps and postcards proved that they existed and preserved their images for future generations,” he said. A postage stamp, he stressed, is not merely a means of facilitating mail delivery but also serves as a historical record documenting a country’s history and stages of development.
Postage stamps as a national identity
Al-Ballam said postage stamps provide insights into different aspects of a country’s history, including urban development, heritage, culture and national occasions, as well as tourist landmarks and related information.
“Through the images and symbols they carry, we can learn a great deal about a country’s development,” he said. Private stamp collections, he added, represent an important source for researchers and those interested in history and heritage.
Photos by Asaad Abdullah
