Ancient Greek Building Discovered in Kuwait

FAILAKA ISLAND, KUWAIT—According to the Greek Reporter, a joint Kuwaiti-Italian archaeological team unearthed a large ancient Greek building and courtyard at the Al-Qurainiya site on Failaka Island. Failaka is located twelve miles off the coast of Kuwait and was once part of the Seleucid Empire, a Greek-ruled state that emerged after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 b.c. The researchers uncovered traces of stone foundations, plastered walls, pottery fragments, and coins that were all more than 2,000 years old. It is believed that the site, which overlooks the sea in the northern part of the island, was part of a larger settlement that included administrative buildings, houses, and temples that served as a watch point or port during a time when the island was an important hub along trade routes connecting Persia, Mesopotamia, and the broader Hellenistic world. There is speculation that the name Failaka may even derive from the ancient Greek word fylakio, meaning “outpost” or “guardhouse.” For more on Failaka, go to "Archaeology Island."