resort
A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...
in
Suriname
Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...
, located in the
Paramaribo District
Paramaribo is a district of Suriname, encompassing the capital city of Paramaribo and the surrounding area.
Paramaribo district has a population of 240,924, almost half the population of the entire country, and an area of 182 km2.
The a ...
. Its population at the 2012 census was 20,631. The historical centre of Paramaribo is located within the resort. The city centre is mainly in original condition, contains 291 listed monuments, and has of 2002 been designated a
Unesco
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
.
History
Paramaribo was founded in 1613 by Stoffel Albertszoon near the indigenous village Parmurbo. Around 1665, during the British occupation, the village was expanded and quickly outranked the earlier settlement of
Torarica
Torarica is the original capital of Suriname. It was settled by Portuguese Jews in 1629. One origin offered for its name is as a Portuguese coinage meaning "Opulent Torah". The Portuguese Jews arrived via Holland and Brazil.grid structure. The reason for using wood was that the absence of stone in the vicinity, and the clay was not suitable for
brick
A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
s. Only important administrative buildings were built from stone shipped from the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.
In January 1821, a fire consumed the area around Oranjeplein (current name: Onafhankelijkheidsplein) and Waterkant, the oldest part of the city. More than 400 buildings were lost, and it is the reason why the oldest part of the city centre has many 19th century buildings. In 1832, 46 houses burnt down. The slaves Kodjo, Mentor, and Present were found guilty of
arson
Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...
, and burnt alive.
Even though the centre has been constructed using a wide grid, the houses are spaced relatively close together. The reason is that the
slave
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
s, and
freed slaves
A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), emancipation (granted freedom a ...
lived in little shacks behind the main
façade
A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a Loanword, loan word from the French language, French (), which means 'frontage' or 'face'.
In architecture, the façade of a building is often t ...
.
Frimangron
A muddy area to the south of the centre would later be named ''Frimangron'' meaning land of the free men. It was often not found on official maps, but was inhabited by free slaves. In 1772 the neighborhood was finally officially listed as neighbourhood F.
fortress
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
cathedral, and the world's tallest wooden cathedral.
*
Onafhankelijkheidsplein
The Onafhankelijkheidsplein (, Independence Square) is a town square in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname. The square is situated in the historical inner city, near the Suriname River and the Presidential Palace of Suriname.
Before the indepen ...
, the Independence Square, which contains the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
Waterkant
The Waterkant is the oldest and one of the most important streets of Paramaribo, Suriname. The street is located in the historic centre on the Suriname River, and was the location where ships used to arrive. The street starts at the Onafhankeli ...
, the oldest street of Paramaribo with outstanding architecture near the
Suriname River
The Suriname River (Dutch: ''Surinamerivier'') is 480 km long and flows through the country Suriname. Its sources are located in the Guiana Highlands on the border between the Wilhelmina Mountains and the Eilerts de Haan Mountains (where it i ...
.
* Garden of Palms, a palm tree landscape garden in behind the Presidential Palace.
*
Keizerstraat
The Keizerstraat is a long street in the center of Paramaribo, best known for its Neveh Shalom Synagogue and Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha’at Islam Mosque that are adjacent to each other. This proximity is often perceived to symbolize the peaceful co ...
, a street where the
Neveh Shalom Synagogue
The Neveh Shalom Synagogue ( he, בית הכנסת נווה שלום, lit. ''House of Peace'') is the only synagogue of the Ashkenazi community in Suriname.
History
The lot on Keizerstraat 82 was acquired in 1716 by Sephardi Jews. The origina ...
Dutch Reformed Church of Suriname
The Dutch Reformed Church of Suriname was founded in 1667 - 1668 by Rev Basselieres. It was a church of Dutch colonists. There members used to be white settlers and freed slaves. Most church activities were in Paramaribo. Until 1850 the church was ...
Foresters Friendly Society
The Foresters Friendly Society is a British friendly society which was formed in 1834 as the Ancient Order of Foresters. As of 31 December 2016, the society had approximately 75,000 members.
Its head office is located in Southampton, England.
...
.
*
Elisabeth Samson House
The Elisabeth Samson House is a residential building which used to be owned by Elisabeth Samson, the first Afro-Surinamese millionaire. It is located on Wagenwegstraat in the centre of Paramaribo, Suriname, and is a monument. After Samson's death, ...
, the house of
Elisabeth Samson
Elisabeth Samson (17151771) was an Afro-Surinamese coffee plantation owner.
She was born in 1715 in Paramaribo to a freed slave, known as Mariana. All of her other siblings had been born as slaves and were emancipated by her half-brother Charlo ...
.
Gallery
Fort Zeelandia.jpg, Fort Zeelandia
Paramaribo - Zeelandiaweg 7 20161002.jpg , Officer's House on the Zeelandiaweg
Paramaribo - Onafhankelijkheidsplein 2 20160922.jpg, Independence Square (House Du Plessis)
Paramaribo - Onafhankelijkheidsplein 3 20160922.jpg, Independence Square (Ministry of Finance)
Paramaribo - Henck Arronstraat 12 20160926.jpg, Henck Arronstraat: Bishop's House
Paramaribo - Henck Arronstraat 22-24 - St Petrus en Pauluskathedraal 20160925.jpg, Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral
Paramaribo - Keizerstraat 82 - synagoge 20161001.jpg, Synagoge Neve Shalom
File:P1060656a.jpg, Arya Dewaker temple
Overzicht van de voorgevels en rechter zijgevel - Paramaribo - 20378053 - RCE.jpg, Waterkant
Stadsgezicht vanaf de toren van het ministerie van Financiën, richting Mr. de Mirandastraat - 20650748 - RCE.jpg, de Mirandastraat (1968)
'Het postkantoor in Paramaribo, Bestanddeelnr 252-6132.jpg, Post Office (1946)
KITLV - 37C300 - Beranger, P. - Paramaribo on the river of Surinam, dedicated with the consent of His Majesty the King of the Netherlands - Offset - 1817-02-15.tiff, Paramaribo from the Suriname River (1817)