Kuwait: National Council reports major archaeological finds on Failaka Island
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The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters has announced major archaeological discoveries at Al-Qusur Monastery on Failaka Island. The findings include material linked to Christian communities and the early Islamic period.
According to KUNA, the findings include pottery bearing Syriac inscriptions, architectural remains and evidence dating to the Umayyad and early Abbasid eras. Mohammad bin Redha, Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Antiquities and Museums at NCCAL, said the discoveries were made by a joint Kuwaiti-French archaeological mission working at the site.
Bin Redha said excavations uncovered extensive architectural structures, early forms of artificial basalt and pottery inscribed with Syriac script. These findings indicate the presence of a Christian community on Failaka Island that likely followed Eastern Syriac traditions.
Archaeological work at the site has been ongoing since 2011. Professor Hassan Ashkanani of Kuwait University said the discoveries represent a key development for Failaka Island, offering new understanding of the transition period from Christianity to early Islam between the mid-7th and mid-9th centuries CE.
Artifacts recovered from the site include Syriac and Persian inscriptions on ostraca, coins, an intricately designed perfume bottle and installations used for food processing. Researchers said these items provide insight into daily life, economic activity and religious practices on the island more than 1,200 years ago.
French mission supervisor Dr. Julie Bonneric said the site contains a monastery complex that includes a large church, a refectory and an extensive food-preparation area. She said the remains point to Christian and Islamic coexistence during the early Islamic period. Bonneric added that the current excavation season, the twelfth, began on November 17, 2025, and is concentrating on the monastery’s earliest phase and the everyday lives of its monks.
Members of the Kuwaiti archaeological team, Saif Al-Batti Boutaiban, Ahmad Al-Thawadi and Anwar Al-Tamimi, said one of the most significant discoveries was a food-processing building located opposite the church. The structure contains a flour mill supported by two low mud-brick pillars designed to hold rotating grinding stones.
They explained that some grinding tools were made from stone sourced locally on Failaka Island, while others were produced using artificial basalt. Although similar in appearance to natural basalt, the material was created from clay and sand and fired at extremely high temperatures in large kilns. The process, known as pyrotechnology, involved melting and recrystallizing materials to achieve mechanical properties similar to volcanic basalt.