Failaka Island is an island in Kuwait, 20 km off the coast of Kuwait City. The island was first colonized by the Ancient Greeks in the 3rd century BC by Alexander the Great. Failaka at that time was named "Ikaros", which was believed to be named after an island off the greek coast which it resembled. It continued to be inhabited until the seventh or eighth century. Kuwait City is the capital of Kuwait and is one of the busiest financial and trade centres in the Gulf. ... Jump to: navigation, search Ancient Greece is the term used to describe the Greek-speaking world in ancient times. ... Jump to: navigation, search Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... In Greek mythology, Icarus was the son of Daedalus 1566 Icarus, one of the Apollo asteroids Icarus is a scientific journal focusing on studies of the Solar System. ...

Although it is unknown when it was settled in modern times, during the Gulf War, Iraqi forces mined the beaches of Failaka and forced the inhabitants off of island. After the war, Failaka was cleared of mines, but it is now under military use, and a visit of the island requires a special pass. Jump to: navigation, search C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The 1991 Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations mandated by the United Nations and led by the United States. ...

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. Kuwait City is the capital of Kuwait and is one of the busiest financial and trade centres in the Gulf. ...

During the earlier Dilmun era (4th century BC), which saw the establishment 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), and human sacrifice may also have taken place. Some element of Greek mythology were mixed with the local cult after Alexander's advance through the region on his way to India. Dilmun (sometimes transliterated Telmun) is associated with ancient sites on the islands of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. ... A Pantheon (Greek: παν, pan, all + θεόν, theon, of the gods), is a set of all the gods of a particular religion or mythology, such as the gods of Hinduism, Greek mythology, Norse mythology. ... Shamash in his trone from the tablette of Sippar ca. ... Jump to: navigation, search Human sacrifice was practiced in many ancient cultures. ... Jump to: navigation, search Greek mythology comprises the collected narratives of Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines, originally created and spread within an oral-poetic tradition. ...

Climate, geography and the future

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. Jump to: navigation, search In ecology, an ecosystem is a naturally occurring assemblage of organisms (plant, animal and other living organisms—also referred to as a biotic community or biocoenosis) living together with their environment (or biotope), functioning as a loose unit. ...

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 quiet island life. Some Failakawan families, although now living in mainland Kuwait, regularly go to the island at weekends. Jump to: navigation, search C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The 1991 Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations mandated by the United Nations and led by the United States. ...

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.

1990 and 1991 saw a marked depopulation of Failaka Island. Before the Iraqi Invasion, there were over two thousand Failakawan residents and several schools there. Historians have noted that, until the Invasion, Failaka was the longest continuously inhabited location in all of Kuwait. The invading Iraqis depopulated the island, expelling all of its residents to the mainland. The military takeover of the island led to the subsequent use by the Iraqi military of facilities and buildings there for target practice. In turn, in 1991, the allied forces caused further destruction on Failaka by bombing the Iraqis off the island some months later. The sewage system was destroyed and has never been fully repaired. Therefore, many old homes continue to sit empty and decaying, and bullet holes can still be seen. Jump to: navigation, search C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The 1991 Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations mandated by the United Nations and led by the United States. ...

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