Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince is the capital, main port and commercial center of the Republic of Haiti in the West Indies. At the head of Gonâve Bay, it lies in a magnificent bay sheltered from the open sea by the island of La Gonâve. In 1749, the French laid out the town in a grid layout and named it L'Hôpital. It has frequently suffered from fires, civil wars and earthquakes. The 1751 and 1770 earthquakes devastated much of the city. Another powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck in January 2010, with its epicenter southwest of the city, destroying Port-au-Prince and the neighboring region. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed or injured and much of the city was destroyed. The city's culture is mainly found in the center around the National Palace and the surrounding areas. The National Museum, founded in 1938, is situated on the grounds of the Palace. The National Palace was an early building in the city, but was destroyed and reconstructed in 1918. It was destroyed by the 12 January 2010 earthquake, which also collapsed the domed roof of the center. The capital's other favorite attraction is the Hotel Oloffson, a 19th-century gingerbread mansion that used to be the private residence of two former Haitian presidents. The Cathédrale de Port-au-Prince is also a famous cultural attraction, drawing foreign visitors with its neo-Romanesque architecture.