Kuwait Yesterday

From Mr. Ayoub Hussein ALayoub paintings which represente the old Kuwaiti’s environment

Al Dakhtar Al-Sharji (The Eastern Clinic)
It was a centre for free medical treatment similar to a clinic.
It had a British doctor who was sent by his government to treat the people of Kuwait. Its last location was to the north of Sabah Al-Nasser masgaf.

The Gate of the Wall
It is one of the five gates of the wall of Kuwait. In the past, those gates were the only access that linked the City with the exterior.

The Old School
The painting shows the Mulla (the teacher) of the school while drawing marks on a pupil's leg to prevent him from going to the sea. Also, observe one of the naughty pupils in the schoolyard in sanqal (chains). He was punished so as to be an example and warning to the other pupils who stood watching him.

The Late Noon Prayer at Mubarak Mosque
In the past, before the installation of electricity in Kuwait, prayer was performed in summer at the mosque yard except the noon-prayer.

Jassim, The Postman
He was the late Jassim Abdal who was famous among the people of Kuwait because of his career.

Al-Kandiri
The Kandiris are good people immigrated to Kuwait. Some of them brought water and sold it to the people.

Radio Al-Hajji
After the introduction of the radio, people bought it, covered it with a bag of cloth and placed it on a high shelf to keep it away from children. ( AL-Hajji means old man )

The Well and the Bucket
In the old houses, the Jileeb or the Qaleeb (the well) was indispensable. Its water was used for many purposes except drinking. The bucket was used to get water out.

The Banquet
The guests got their dinner or supper at such banquet. The food usually consisted of rice, meat and other things.

Al-Samri (a kind of singing)
In the past, especially during 1940's, some people used to call the bands for a whole night singing 'al-Samri' to celebrate their weddings or fulfil their vows. Their songs were accompanied by drums and tambourine till dawn. Many people who rejoiced that kind of singing attended that night. Even women in cloaks and their children sat at a corner allotted for them.

A Mubayat (Chest) and Baskets
In the past, the rich and the wealthy people used to keep them in their rooms. The baskets were called rowt basket and were used for keeping the clothes.

The Water Stand
It was the carrier of the gharsha and borma (medium seized-vessel) which cooled water in the past.

Al-Mihassin (the Barber)
It is the old barber with his primitive yet strange fan seen here suspended from the ceiling.

The Wedding Procession of the Bridegroom
In the past, the bridegroom, accompanied by his father and the invitees who were both acquaintances and relatives, was wed on foot to his bride's house by night in a procession. Sometimes, they were accompanied by Al-Ardha Bands (bands which dance while raising swords) singing and beating drums. The picture features the wedding procession, the lamp-carriers and the people watching them.

The Year of Rations
During World War II, the government assigned in every district shops to sell rice, tea, sugar, flour and cloth to the people at a low price. The painting shows a shop at Mubarak arena where the clerk's name was Badir Al-Mudeer and the weighter was Abduljadir Bu Yaseen.

Butbailah (by day)
That man appeared in the mid of Ramadhan and on holidays. He, accompanied by boys, roamed among houses clapping and singing reiterating : "God days come back ..... May evil not touch you" The people gave him money and food in return for awaking them to have the light meal before daybreak during Ramadhan (sohoor).

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