Cartagena - Colombia
Posted by: 
denben
N 10° 25.377 W 075° 32.949
18P E 439894 N 1152228
Situated in a bay of the Caribbean Sea, Cartagena is an important center of economic activity in the Caribbean, as well as a popular tourist destination.
Waymark Code: WMG8C9
Location: Colombia
Date Posted: 01/28/2013
Views: 16
The port, the fortresses and the group of monuments of Cartagena were selected by UNESCO in 1984 as significant to the heritage of the world, having the most extensive fortifications in South America.
Cartagena, together with La Habana and San Juan de Puerto Rico, was one of the three most important ports in the West Indies. It is an outstanding example of the military architecture of the 16th-18th centuries - the most extensive in the New World and one of the most complete.
In 1586, the most famous military engineer of the Crown of Spain, Bautista Antonelli, was charged with the fortification of the city. His work, finally completed in the 17th century, made Cartagena an impregnable stronghold, which successfully resisted the attacks of Baron Pontis until 1697. In the 18th century, new additions gave the fortified ensemble its present spaciousness. The fortifications of San Felipe de Barajas protected Cartagena during numerous sieges, giving the city its unconquerable character and reputation. They are described as the masterpiece of Spanish military engineering in America.
The main entrance of the walled enclosure (Clock Tower Gate), gives access to the Plaza de los Coches, where long ago the slave market was held. A system of zones divides the city into three neighbourhoods: San Pedro, with the cathedral and many Andalusian-style palaces; San Diego, where merchants and the middle class lived; and Gethsemani, the 'popular quarter'.
Our pictures show the Clock Tower Gate, the city walls and monuments and San Felipe Barajas Castle (fortress).
The coordinates were taken at the Clock Tower Gate.
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