To witness a unique landmark in Kuwait’s history, visit the Al Qurain Martyrs Museum, which memorializes an important part of the most contentious aspect in the country’s recent past: its annexation by Iraq in 1990. To host your stay whilst you soak up all this history and culture, check into one of the finest Kuwait hotels such as the Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort. Offering luxury interiors and five-star service, this splendid Kuwait resort guarantees an unforgettable stay for its visitors. In its post-independence from Britain, Kuwait experienced significant economic growth spurred by its oil wells. This was put on hold as the country faced a seven-month-long annexation by Iraqi that ended with a US-led military intervention, termed the famous “Operation Desert Storm”. The 2005 movie Jarhead was based on a soldier’s experience of the operation.
The retreating Iraqi army set 775 of Kuwait’s oil wells on fire, resulting in a catastrophic environmental and economic impact on the country. However, before the US intervened, a group of young Kuwaiti men forming part of the resistance group “Messila” took it upon themselves to launch an offensive against the invading Iraqi army. Whilst conducting their preparations, they were discovered by an Iraqi patrol unit, and a bloody ten-hour battle took place at the residential neighbourhood the group was based at. The group of nineteen fought bravely, but in the end, they were overcome by the sheer strength of the Iraqi forces. Seven suffered grave injuries, while twelve gave up their lives fighting for the liberation of their country, and the museum stands as a fitting tribute to their courage and it stands as a poignant memorial to the power of the human spirit.