Sadu House

Traditional Kuwaiti home Sadu House was constructed in 1936 by Youssef Al Marzouk, the head of a wealthy family. The house had four open courtyards with many Indian decorative influences and looked out onto the sea.

The National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters later acquired the house after the State had purchased it in the 1970s through the Ministry of Information. It adopted the weaving tradition in 1980 and changed its name to Sadu House to become the home of textiles and weavings.

Things to do at Sadu House:

• Visit the museum at Sadu House:

The museum tells the tale of traditional Kuwaiti weaving from the desert to the city. Its goal is to tell the story of this rich textile heritage, from the nomadic sadu weavers to the urban pit loom weavers of bisht. It also considers associated methods and design patterns. 

Shop at the museum store for traditional textiles to take home a piece of Bedouin cultural heritage. It is dedicated to showcasing Kuwait's rich and varied textile heritage, drawing inspiration from the nation's historical values of productivity and creativity, and weaving together a cultural identity for the present and future generations.

• The galleries are dispersed throughout for you educational and interactive purposes:

The exhibits feature a selection of exquisitely made Bedouin textiles and the tools used to create them. There are numerous explanations, including technical commentaries and descriptions of how the objects were used.

There is a tonne of knowledge available regarding the spindles, looms, and dyes that the Bedouins employed. There are areas dedicated to the creation and embroidery of Bishts (cloaks) and areas that concentrate on various weaving structures and methods.

• Browse the library:

Numerous books, publications, research papers, and other materials about weaving and textile arts in Kuwait, the Arab world, and elsewhere can be found in the library.

It aims to assist academics, researchers, and anyone interested in textile heritage. To facilitate easy interaction for researchers and academics, book titles may be accessed online via a digital index.

• Speak with Bedouin women who produce over 70 different items:

Learn about the labor-intensive process involved in creating threaded art. It celebrates the productivity and creativity of the nation's past generation, from the nomadic Bedouin weaving of the desert to the urban weaving of the town, weaving together a cultural identity for both the present and future generations.