Description
During the reign of Sheikh Mubarak Al Sabah (1896 – 1915), the political and commercial necessity of Kuwait increased substantially, it ushered the need for a palace that would be a felicitous center of power. Sheikh Mubarak already owned a house that overlooked the sea, opposite to it, were stables and storerooms, where Sheikh Mubarak ordered his palace to be built, which came to be known as Seif Palace.
Sheikh Mubarak had a close relationship with Sheikh Khazaal Bin Merdaw, a prominent tribal leader on the east coast of Shatt Al-Arab, and it was him who sent an architect from Baghdad to design and construct a palace worth the ruler of Kuwait. The architect suggested in adding a wing to the western part of the stable in order to extend the original building. The Seif Palace floor was covered with yellow colored tiles brought from the town of Al Emara, which lies to the north of Basra.
External walls and the staircase were built and doors, windows, and wooden arches were also decorated with stained glass. The palace was built in 1324 A.H, 1906/1907 A.D.
The Seif Palace is popular among local and overseas visitors as the home of the royal family. Nevertheless, they might be surprised to find out that this palace does not get much used by the Monarch and the government. While it is true that this palace is designated to the Emir dynasty, the household personally chose to stay in Bayan Palace which is known as the official house of the Emir and this is also the place where the monarch would entertain his dignitaries. Therefore, the Seif palace only serves as the court if there are special celebrations and events, or if the Bayan Palace is not available. However, thousands of travelers every year go to see this fine building.