A heavy thunderstorm split the skies over Kuwait City with bolts of lightning last Friday, such as this one that struck the Kuwaiti capital's Liberation Tower.

Standing at a height of 372m, the iconic telecommunications tower is Kuwait's second-tallest.

Construction on it began in 1987, but work was halted when Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990.

Miraculously, the half-finished tower was undamaged, and the tower was eventually completed in 1993, two years after Iraqi troops were expelled from the country.

To reflect Kuwait's liberation, the structure's original name of Kuwait Telecommunications Tower was changed to Liberation Tower.

Access to the tower's viewing deck is available only via appointment.