COLOMBIA OLDEST MUSEUM

The National Museum of Colombia is the oldest museum ( 183 year of foundation ) of the country, and one of oldest of América. The importance of the museum cultural work is related to the development of all the Republic, because the Museum, like institution, is the reflection of the history of Colombia from 1823. At the same time the character of their collections, that cover all the periods with the history of the national culture, has caused that is considered him like a synthesis of the cultural identity of the Colombian being.

The National Museum of Colombia was founded by law of the first Congress of the Republic at July 28,1823 and is one of oldest of America. It opened to his doors to the public at July 4,1824 date in which the vice-president, general Francisco de Paula Santander declared it officially created.

The National Museum settled initially in the Botanical House, which lodged the collection of the natural history reunited by Jose Celestino Mutis and taking care by his disciples; with the course of the time these pieces added others of archaeological, historical and artistic character. Throughout its many years of history, the National Museum of Colombia has occupied diverse headquarters:

From his foundation 1823 to 1842 : It's occupied by the old Botanical House.(disappeared).

Between 1845 and 1913, The building of the Classrooms " El edificio de la Aulas" ( In the present Museum of Colonial Art).

Between 1913 and 1922, The Rufino Passage Crow "Pasaje Rufino cuervo"(disappeared).

Between 1922 and 1944, The building Bank Pedro A. Lopez (today Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development).

From 1948 to date, the facilities of the old Penitentiary Power station of Cundinamarca, well-known like “Panóptico”. Designed by the construction architect Thomas Reed in the decade of 1850 and constructed from October 1,1874.

The Penitentiary one was the most important prison of the country during almost 72 years. Nevertheless, in 1946 the prisoners were transferred to the new Jail called "Picota" and the government destined the building to lodge the National Museum.

Recovered and adapted under the direction of the architects Manuel de Vengoechea and Hernando Vargas Rubiano and inaugurated as a headquarters of the National Museum at May 2,1948. The building reunites architectonic and historical values of such beauty and solidity that lead the government to declare it National Monument(August 11,1975).

Between years 1989 and 2001 the Project of Integral Restoration of the Building, that culminated in the first semester of the 2001 and which it was inaugurated officially in July 28, with the opening of the totality exhibition rooms of the Museum . At the moment, National Museum of Colombia and Colombian Instituto of Anthropology and History (Icanh), employees both of the Ministry of Culture, are the ones in charge of the administration, conservation and diffusion of the collections that integrate the Museum.

In the celebration of their 183 years of foundation, the collections of the Museum as a result of the anthropological investigations, donations and acquisitions ascend to more than 20,000 pieces, symbols of history and the national patrimony.

Also you can find vestiges of the first settlers and culture material of the pre Hispanic societies, objects of the present indigenous and afrocolombiana ethnography, testimony of the different periods from Colombian history and works of artistic value that go from the colonial time to the art of the' first modern ones'in spanish (Los primeros modernos) such as Fernando Botero, Alejandro Obregón, Guillermo Wiedemann, Juan Antonio Roda, Eduardo Ramirez Villamizar, Edgar Negret and Enrique Grau.

The Museum offers to visitors 17 permanent exhibition halls, which are exhibited around 2,500 objects, a calendar of exhibitions temporary that has allowed to Colombians to be in contact with important samples of history, national and international art and archaeology and one varied academic programming and cultural that includes conferences, concerts, presentations of theater and dance, videos and the Annual Chair of History `Ernesto Restrepo Tirado', who has been made the last 10 years.

Also, it counts on a series of publications that compile not only the heap of their collections but the memories of the academic encounter and with the development of new technologies like the Internet, allowing to create new and contemporary forms to be related to the public.


Schedules: Mondays the Museum is closed to the public by maintenance

Tuesday to Saturday of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Domingo of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The access to the rooms finishes to 30 minutes before the closing of the Hour Museum.

Vault of Orfebrería: Open Tuesday to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cabinet of Drawing and Graphical Arts : Open Tuesday to Fridays from 10 a.m to 6 p.m.

Tariffs Adult: US$1,20
Young greater of 5 years : US$.50

Direction: Cra. 7, streets 28 and 29, Bogota-Colombia
Telephone: (057) (1) 334 83 66.
Web site: http://www.museonacional.gov.co



From : yalilaguiselle

BOGOTA CITY PICTURES

The capital of the Colombia Republic is the city of Bogotá

History : Before the arrival of the Spaniards, its settlers by 5000 years was the indigenous community of the Muiscas that were directed by jerarca to that they called the “Zipa”, was founded on August 6 of 1538 by Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada.

Geography : It is located in the Eastern mountain range of the Andes, is known him by the name of capital district and this as well this divided by 20 localities, is a great plateau that limits in the east with a mountainous system where is the traditional church of Monserrate and to which is called Eastern hills in spanish(cerros orientales).

Economy : As a Capital of Colombia contributes the 24 percent of the GIP, and the sectors that more volumes of capital handle are the agriculture, manufacture, services and construction.

Population : 6 ′ 800,000 inhabitants.

Bogotá climate does not have stations reason why it has times of rain towards principles of April and times of summer of July to September, presenting in general temperatures non superior to the 20 degrees Celsius.

Bogotá transport : Count on taxis, public buses, and the transport system "transmilenio", seemed to travel by meter being used trans-shipment stations, the tourist can here receive a map with the instructions of how to be transported.

Bogotá Parks : Salitre Mágico, Metropolitan Park Simón Bolivar, National park, Camelot and World Adventure in spanish(Mundo Aventura).

Places to visit : The Botanical garden, La Candelaria, La Calera, National Museum, Zona Rosa, 93 Park, National Park, Chapinero, Monseratte Church among others.





From : yalilaguiselle

BOGOTA MAP

Bogotá Map Embassies



The most easy way to be guided in Bogotá, it is having as a reference point Bolívar's Square(Plaza de Bolivar) located in the heart of the city and if we want not to get lost and to always be located in any part of Bogotá we simply look for the mountains to our right showing us the east, taking that as departure point the north is in front of us, the south back of us, and to our left the West.

The addresses in Bogota are divided in careers or avenues (in spanish "carreras o avenidas")(Cr)or(Av), that go from south to north and streets(in spanish "calles")(Cl), that go from east to the West, each block careers or street is of approximately 20 yards containing as well 99 units (the even units always are going to be alongside right of the street in parallel sense to the east or the hills, in spanish call it "cerros orientales"). In some places, each block careers or street can be longer or shorter and numbers are used to find the places, for example, to arrive at Bolívar's square, you find it by the following address Cr 7 N 10-00 and if from this place we want to go to the national museum that is located in the following address : cr 7 28 - 66 we must walk towards the north 18 blocks and for being even you will find it to the right side of the race in parallel to hills.

In addition to these directions the tourist can be located considering the main avenues followed by the respective numbers.

Bogotá main avenues.

- Av Jimenez.
- Av Boyaca.
- Cr 7 (seventh)"carrera septima".
- Av Caracas.
- (80)Street "cl 80".
- (26)Street"cl 26".
- Av (68).
- Cr 30 (thirty)"carrera 30".
- North Freeway "Autopista norte".

BOGOTA AERIAL TRAMWAY

The Cable car to Monserrate is a tourist aereal tramway that allows to everybody communicate to the Hill of Monserrate.

In February of 1952 they initiated the managements to advance the beginning of a system of complementary transport to the Funicular to mobilize to the travelling ones and the pilgrims to the Hill. He went as well as Louis de Roll in Bern, Switzerland contacted itself to the House, to acquire the Cableway. As of that moment they initiate a series of directed workings, as much to the financing of the project, like a the attainment of the engineering companies that would be in charge of the tasks of construction of the works that were required to install the loading station and entraining stations for passengers. It is as well as it entered operation the Cableway of Monserrate, novel means of transport that uses a cable system through which they advance the cabins: two heads of traction and two of tension, creating a counterbalance that the total synchrony in its mobilization allows him. Its cost was of 635.000 Swiss francs , which at the time was equivalent to 564.000 Colombian pesos, that plus the construction of the stations superior and inferior, it reached the million pesos. Soon, in February of 1955, two engineers for the installation of the machinery of the Cableway, Alfred Bigles and Walter Hofstetter arrive from Switzerland, who initiate the crucial stage in the setting operation of the Cableway that would take operations the 27 of September of the same year.

Capacity : 40 passengers.

Cost : US 5 at day.
US 6.5 at night.

Schedule : Monday to Saturday of 12 of the day to 12 of the night and Sundays and festival of 5:30 of the morning at 6 in the afternoon.





From : MissParticipación

BOGOTA´S GOLD MUSEUM

The Banco de la República Gold Museum displays an extraordinary selection of its pre-Hispanic goldwork collection, the biggest in the world. Together with other pottery, stone, shell, wood and textile archaeological objects, these items, made of what to indigenous cultures was a sacred metal, testify to the life and thought of different societies which inhabited what is now known as Colombia before contact was made with Europe.
Schedules:
Tuesday to Saturday : 09:00 a.m. a 06:00 p.m.
Sundays and Public Holidays : 10:00 a.m. a 04:00 p.m.
Closed on Mondays, including public holiday Mondays.
You can remain in the exhibition rooms until one hour after the Museum door closes.
Cost:
Tuesday to Saturday: US 1.10
Public Holidays : US 1.10
Sundays: Free
Free Entrance : For children under the age of 12 years and adults over 65.
Address :
The Banco de la República Gold Museum is situated on 16th Street, between Carreras 5 and 6, in Bogotá, Colombia.
Tel : (571) 3432222.

From: Adriana Henriquez

BOGOTA´S FIRST CHURCH

The name in Spanish is "Catedral primada de Colombia", it is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada in august 6 -1538, the same day of the foundation of Bogotá with the name of "Nuestra señora de la esperanza"("Our lady of the hope").
In that time it was only a small chapel with straw roof where the first mass was gave it by Fray Domingo de las Casas.
In 1565 Fray Juan de los Barrios, he brought the first stone of the new cathedral, being able to get the whole necessary resources to begin the construction. The work begins in 1572 and it concludes in 1590. As consequence of some earthquakes and the step of the time, the religious men takes the decision of demolishing it partially.

At the beginning of 1800 through the bishop from Colombia in that then Francisco Caicedo, he gives the reconstruction of the cathedral to the friar Domingo Petrés, architect influenced by the neoclassical tendency in that time of the history and that determine the style of the reconstruction of the Church.

In 1811 dies Domingo Petrés. Nicolas León recapture his work and end it.

From the year 1942 enhance and improvement works have been made, The cathedral has a bigger altar and 10 chapels in honor to la Virgen del Carmen, la Virgen Dolorosa, San José, las Benditas Animas, el Sagrado Corazón, San Pedro and Santa Isabel de Hungria where are Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada´s remains.

Schedule:Monday to Friday 8:30. 14:00 and from 16:00 At 18:00
Saturday: 8:30. 14:00
Domingo: 8:30. 14:00.

Address: Cr 7 10-80 Bogotá

Tel:(0057) (1) 3 41 19 54


Photo: Simone Carrocino

COLOMBIAN FOLKLORE

The Colombian caribe region parties are rituals that communicate collective feelings of well-being, happiness, exaltation, contradiction or bereavement. In the first place are those that evoke religious beliefs. In them the towns thank and they request to their gods the favor in the crops, in the love, in the health and in the prosperity. On the other hand exist parties called laymen or profane. In them the life is celebrated. In these revels, the human body is allowed the licentiousness and the enjoyment transforms into the center of the celebration. This classification of the parties should not make us lose the central idea, which is that the party always traffics between the sacred thing and the profane thing. This way for example is Barranquilla´s Carnival finishes on religious commemoration. After satiating the appetites of the body, Joselito Carnival dies and start the period of the Lent that he invites to the austerity and the fast begins this way.

These rhythms are characteristic of the Colombian caribe region :


Danza del Paloteo
Danza de las Farotas
Danza del Congo
Puya
El Porro
Lambalú
Fandango
El Mapalé
Tambora
Baile Negro
Chotis
Danza del Garabato