Welcome to Port-au-Prince, the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city lies on the Gulf of Gonâve, whose sheltered bay has served as a natural harbour since the days of the Taíno. It was first incorporated under French colonial rule in 1749. Port-au-Prince is laid out like an amphitheatre, with commercial districts down by the water and homes climbing the hills above. In 2010 a massive earthquake struck the city, damaging or destroying a great many buildings and taking a terrible toll of lives. Let's explore the landmarks that tell the story of Haiti's struggle for freedom.
Le Marron Inconnu
Photo: | Kristina Just · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsIn front of you stands Le Marron Inconnu, the Unknown Maroon, a bronze statue of a runaway slave. Haitians also call it Nèg Mawon, the Maroon Man. Created by the Haitian architect Albert Mangonès and completed on 22 September 1967, it stands across from the National Palace. The statue honours the rallying cry that sparked the Haitian Revolution and the abolition of slavery, and it has become the nation's most iconic symbol of the struggle for freedom and black liberation.
Marché en Fer
Photo: book by Jacques Nicolas Léger, photo uncredited · Public domain · Wikimedia CommonsHere is the Marché en Fer, the Iron Market, painted red with green accents. Its story is surprising: this metal structure was built in Paris for a railway station in Cairo. When that plan was cancelled, the Haitian president Florvil Hyppolite bought it and had it shipped to Haiti in 1891. Look at the two iron-framed halls, each of 2,000 square metres, joined by a gate with four domed towers and a clock. The market has suffered fires and was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake, but it was rebuilt and reopened a year later.
Champ de Mars
Photo: Bdx · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsNow we walk through the Champ de Mars, the largest public park in downtown Port-au-Prince, a series of squares divided by broad boulevards. For much of the city's history it was used for military parades, and in 1912 it was remodelled into a racetrack with wrought-iron stands facing the National Palace. Its present design dates from 1999, created for the city's 250th anniversary. Look around at the statues of Haiti's founding fathers, among them Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Alexandre Pétion and Henri Christophe.
Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien
Photo: MUPANAH · Public domain · Wikimedia CommonsAt the Champ de Mars you will find the National Pantheon Museum of Haiti, known as MUPANAH. Most of the museum is underground, entered through a wide cement opening. On its roof, reflecting pools and gardens invite visitors to pause and reflect on the trials of slavery and the legacy of the Haitian Revolution. Inside, exhibits honour the heroes of independence and trace the country's history, from Taíno culture to slavery, revolution and the sugar and tobacco trades.
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption
Photo: Cathédrale-Port-au-Prince.jpg : Carpenter, Frank G. (Frank George), 1855-1924 de · Public domain · Wikimedia CommonsOur tour ends at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, built between 1884 and 1914 and dedicated in 1928. For decades it was the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince. Remarkably, the cupola of its north tower also served as a lighthouse, guiding sailors into the harbour. In the 2010 earthquake the roof and the towers beside the main entrance collapsed, and Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot was killed when the archdiocesan offices fell. The lower parts of the walls remain standing, a solemn reminder of that day.
Lomakuume
