An old merchant's house located next to Sadu House, Bayt Al-Badr was built between 1838 and 1848. It features a fine example of the elaborately carved front doors that were once a hallmark of wealthy Kuwaiti homes. Exhibitions of local handicrafts are occasionally displayed here.
Several other pre-oil houses along the Seif have been renovated and preserved, including the old British Political Agency building opposite the Dhow Harbour. In the Sharq area just inland, a few atmospheric old houses still await restoration -- worth a wander if you are interested in what Kuwait looked like before the oil boom.