By Ahmad Al-Mutairi
KUWAIT, Sept 16 (KUNA) -- Kuwait Towers are considered to be the most prominent monument in the country, situated at the heart of Kuwait City, overlooking the Arabian Gulf.
The Towers, officially inaugurated in 1979 as a water transfer project, turned into a main touristic attraction and became a symbol of modern Kuwait.
In 1980, the towers were awarded the Islamic Aga Khan Award for Architecture, in appreciation of the monument's distinctive design, modern technology, employment issues and social services.
The design of the towers represents Kuwaiti heritage, with the shape of the first tower containing two spheres being derived from the incense burner, the second one with one sphere represents the (Marash), a tool used to sprinkle rose water on guests, while the third is derived from an Arabic eye make up. The three spheres are covered with about 55,000 steel discs in eight shades of blue, green and grey.
The Ministry of Water and Electricity is cooperating with the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) to register Kuwait Towers in the UN's primary list of World Heritage, Assistant Undersecretary for water operations and maintenance in the Ministry Mohammad Boushahri told Kuwait News Agency on Tuesday.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has issued a number of laws to protect monuments recognized in the list of World Heritage, said Boushahri.
Registering the monument in the list would be a great achievement for the country's water field, since the towers showcase the challenges of preserving water sources in a desert environment where resources are scarce, and how water resources are used to develop the society, he noted.
Kuwait is one of the top countries in the region in using seawater desalination technology and also in the levels of water reservoir, Boushahri said, adding that a UNESCO delegation had recently visited the towers and expressed its admiration of its design and water reservoir method.
The towers' maintenance has been delayed because the Ministry is working on signing a contract with the monument's Swedish designer Sweco engineering company, in order to provide the best maintenance services, he also said.(end) am.ag