Cooperation in the archaeological field between Italy and Kuwait was further consolidated with the signing of two important agreements between the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters of Kuwait, the University of Perugia and La Sapienza University of Rome.
The first of the two agreements, signed by the Secretary General of the National Council Mohammad AlJassar and Andrea Di Miceli representing the University of Perugia, renewed for another five years the excavation project on the island of Failaka. The project, which began in 2010, involved Italian archaeologists and researchers led by Di Miceli himself and focused on the north coast of the island.
The second agreement, signed by La Sapienza University of Rome, marked the start of a new collaboration, which will also last five years, on the Khadima area, where interesting evidence of the occupation of Kuwait from the early Islamic period can be found. The centre of Kadhima was an essential stop for merchants and pilgrims who wanted to reach the holy places of Islam from the north. This new project is led by Professor Carlo Giovanni Cereti of the Department of Science of Antiquities of La Sapienza (first in the world for Classics and Ancient History according to the QS University World Ranking).
On the occasion of the signing of the two Agreements, the Italian Ambassador to Kuwait, Carlo Baldocci, underlined how “the study and valorisation of historical and cultural heritage are key elements of the cooperation between Italy and Kuwait. In this regard, examples of successful bilateral cooperation between the two countries range from archaeology to urban design, as was the case, for instance, with the work carried out by Italy in the Suq in Kuwait City. This is evidence of a relationship that has been consolidated over the years and is destined to continue growing”.
