History of architecture in Kuwait: The evolution of Kuwaiti traditional architecture prior to the discovery of oil

This research examines the evolution of Kuwait's architecture since its creation in the eighteenth century up to the discovery of oil in 1936. Using a chronological approach, this study discusses the spatial architectural and urban strategies, building materials and construction techniques, and styles over time. Chapters of this study examine how Kuwaiti architectural meanings changed in response to different social and cultural factors.;This historical study intends to fill the gap that exists in the documentation of Kuwait's history as it relates to architecture and urbanization prior to the discovery of oil. The existing literature on the subject of traditional architecture of Kuwait is fragmented and incomplete. While some studies focus on stylistic and technological accounts, existing literature is unsupported by sufficient data and conducted with little or no in depth examination of the relationship between built form and socio-cultural developments.;This study clarified the complex and multi-faceted relationship between Kuwait's built forms on the one hand, and its socio-cultural forces on the other. Besides giving an extensive description of Kuwaiti architecture, this study investigated the mechanisms that produced a specific and distinctive architecture in Old Kuwait.