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Fortaleza Ozama |
Castle built by the Spanish in the 16th century |
Construction was finished in 1505, making it the oldest European military structure in the Americas |
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Dominican Republic flag |
Fort walls |
Torre del Homenaje, the main tower |
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Entrance down to Los Tres Ojos, a series of lakes in open-roof caverns |
Los Tres Ojos |
Los Tres Ojos |
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Faro a Colon aka Columbus Lighthouse |
A huge monument for Christopher Columbus, built in 1986 and finished in 1992 at a cost of $70 million USD |
View of downtown Santo Domingo from the Faro a Colon |
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Inside the monument |
Total length is 680 ft |
The mausoleum |
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The mausoleum that claims to house remains of Christopher Columbus, but there's some controversy over that |
DNA testing has verified Columbus remains in the cathedral in Seville, Spain |
No DNA testing has been done on the remains here, so it's possible that it's Columbus as well. But it hasn't been verified with DNA. |
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I think the issue of the remains is a touchy subject, so I'm just deferring to Wikipedia on this one |
Christopher Columbus |
Chirstopher Columbus statue |
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Parque Colon, with Catedral Santa Maria La Menor in the background |
Inside Catedral Santa Maria La Menor, the oldest cathedral in the Americas |
Construction began in 1512 and was finished in 1540 |
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Crypt inside the cathedral |
Side chapel |
Gothic architecture |
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La Zone Colonia street |
Ruinas de San Francisco |
Construction in La Zona Colonial |
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The National Palace |
Alcazar de Colon |
Old city walls |
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Alcazar de Colon, built between 1510 and 1512 to be the governor's mansion |
Now it's a museum with not a lot of original items, given that it was sacked by Sir Francis Drake in 1586 |
The seal of Christopher Columbus |
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Carved wooden cabinet |
Carved wooden cabinet |
16th century armor |
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View of the Ozama River from the Alcazar de Colon |
Calle las Damas, the oldest paved street in the Americas |
The National Pantheon, which was originally a Jesuit church |
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Changing of the guard |
Changing of the guard |
Roof of the National Pantheon |
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National Pantheon |
National Pantheon |
National Pantheon, the resting place for some of the most famous citizens of the Dominican Republic |
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Dominican electrician |
More 16th century ruins |
Statue outside the Museo del Hombre Dominicano |
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Landing of Christopher Columbus |
Mural inside the museum |
Carnival masks |
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Carnival mask |
Carnival masks |
Carnival mask |
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The last Presidente beers before my flight back home |
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