Failaka Island (Arabic: جزيرة فيلكة‎)is an island in Kuwait, 20 km off the coast of Kuwait City. The Arabic language (Arabic: ‎ transliterated: ), or simply Arabic (Arabic: ‎ transliterated: ), is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Kuwait City Kuwait City (also Al-Kuwait - الكويت), population 305,694 (1998), is the capital of the emirate of Kuwait and part of the Al-Asimah goveronate. ...

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. Dilmun (sometimes transliterated Telmun) is associated with ancient sites on the islands of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. ... A Pantheon (Greek: παν, pan, all + Θεός, Theos, God), is a set of all the gods of a particular religion or mythology, such as the gods of Hinduism, Greek mythology, Norse mythology, and Egyptian mythology. ... Shamash or Sama, was the common Akkadian name of the sun-god in Babylonia and Assyria, corresponding to Sumerian Utu. ... Human sacrifice was practiced in many ancient cultures. ...

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 Icaros, after the island of a similar shape off the Greek coast. Some elements of Greek mythology mixed with the local cults. Alexander the Great (Greek: Μέγας Αλέξανδρος[1] Megas Alexandros; July 356 BC — June 11, 323 BC), also known as Alexander III, king of Macedon (336–323 BC), is considered one of the most successful military commanders in history, conquering most of his known world before his death. ... Ancient Greece is the period in Greek history lasting for close to a millennium, until the rise of Christianity. ... // Greek mythology consists in part in a large collection of narratives that explain the origins of the world and detail the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines. ...

The island was inhabited through the seventh or eighth century AD. It is unknown when the island was settled in modern times.

Prior to the Iraqi Invasion, the island had over two thousand residents and several schools. 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 caused further destruction on Failaka by bombing the Iraqis off the island. 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. Combatants U.S.-led coalition Iraq Commanders George H. W. Bush Norman Schwarzkopf Colin Powell Saddam Hussein Ali Hassan al-Majid Hussein Kamel Strength 660,000 545,000 Casualties 345 dead, 1,000 wounded 25,000 - 100,000 dead, 100,000 - 300,000 wounded The 1991 Gulf War (also called...

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. Kuwait City Kuwait City (also Al-Kuwait - الكويت), population 305,694 (1998), is the capital of the emirate of Kuwait and part of the Al-Asimah goveronate. ...

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. In ecology, an ecosystem is a combination of all the living and non-living elements of an area. ...

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. Combatants U.S.-led coalition Iraq Commanders George H. W. Bush Norman Schwarzkopf Colin Powell Saddam Hussein Ali Hassan al-Majid Hussein Kamel Strength 660,000 545,000 Casualties 345 dead, 1,000 wounded 25,000 - 100,000 dead, 100,000 - 300,000 wounded The 1991 Gulf War (also called...

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 archaelogical 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.