Intramuros, located along the southern bank of the Pasig River, was built by the Spaniards in the 16th century and is the oldest district of the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Its name, taken from the Latin, intra muros, literally “Within the walls”, meaning within the wall enclosure of the city/fortress, also describes its structure as it is surrounded by thick, high walls and moats. During the Spanish colonial period, Intramuros was considered Manila itself.
During World War II, much of Intramuros was damaged by bombings from both Japanese, Filipino and American soldiers who besieged on it.
In 1945, Japanese soldiers who had occupied the islands, invaded the site of Intramuros, killed many civilians and Filipino soldiers; destroying most of the original buildings contructed. Almost 100,000 people died during the liberation of Manila. Intramuros was in ruins after the war and the only structure that survived was the San Agustin; almost no other buildings remained standing.
Intramuros has been restored for the tourists. Today, it houses a museum, art galleries, an open-air theatre, fine restaurants, craft shops and souvenir stalls. It also keeps a park lush with tropical flora and homing pigeons. The park, Puerto Real, is the venue of Saturday musical performances during dry months.
Here are some of the historical spots than can be seen inside Intramuros:
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fort santiago Phillip II
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baluarte de san diego
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casa manila
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oldest church san agustin
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manila cathedral
Map:
References:
Intramuros
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