Arab Fund Building - Outside Kuwait City in Shuwaik

On March 3, MW took us to the Arab Organizations Headquarters Building.  It is considered to be one of the most acclaimed buildings in the Middle East.  I certainly can't remember all the names of the various rooms that we were taken to.  What I do remember is the incredibly beautiful craftsmanship.  I am including a link if you are interested in taking a virtual tour of the building.  This building has to be one of the most beautiful buildings that I have seen to date.  I would definitely go again given the chance.  At the start of the webpage it states:

 

From the cool tranquillity of the Moroccan water wall to the intricate woodwork of the majestic Egyptian Mashrabiya, the building represents a celebration of traditional Arabic artisan skills.

http://www.arabfund.org/aohq/tour.htm

The pictures that I am including here I will label if I know what they are.  Otherwise please just enjoy the beauty of the building.

Front Doors of the building.  The pieces are fit together without the benefit of metal nails.

One of the centers of the door panels.

The Moroccan waterfall in the entrance of the building.  The tile work is just incredible.

 

Art work in main foyer

Above and Below:  Spiral staircase and chandler in Library. 

The next pictures, the one above and the two below, are taken in the Tunisian Room.The picture above is a carving in the wall.  The picture below is the same design, carved in wood, that is used as a window covering. 

The Atrium

The Prayer Room

A glass table that was in one of the meeting rooms.  I couldn't get over the designs that were on the bottom of the table, and the table legs.  It was a unique piece of art work in a building full of unbelievable examples of art.

One of many butterflies on the table legs.

 

These next few pictures are from the Al Sabah collection.  The Al Sabah's are the Royal Family.  Some of these pieces are the original items, but I believe that some of them are replicas of the originals since the originals were damaged and/or destroyed when Kuwait was invaded by Iraq.  

 

 

In one of the rooms the door had beveled crystal inserts.  I was playing around and took these shots through the crystals.  I think they made for an interesting end to the tour.