HNOW in Haiti: Day at the Museum

After visiting my father's house we went to the Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien or
Museum of the Haitian National Pantheon. This museum sits on the side of a large round-about in Port-au-Prince. It's only one floor, but the beauty of this building is amazing. Once we got inside, we were welcomed by a beautiful golden coat of arms that sat in between two 6-foot Haitian Flags. The remains of Haiti's founding fathers rest under the coat of arms. On the walls were the names of runaway indigenous slaves that led up to the monuments of Haiti's founding fathers: Toussaint Louveture - the leader of the Haitian Revolution (1804), Henri Christophe - ruler of Haiti (1811-20), Jean-Jacques Dessalines - the emperor of Haiti, and Alexandre Petion - the first president of Haiti. 

Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien has artifacts dated back to when Taino Indians first inhabited the entire island we know today as Hispanola. One of the pieces that stood out to me was the Freedom Bell. When Toussaint Louveture led Haiti to independence in 1804 he rang this bell declaring Haiti an independent nation. As you can tell by these angles I tried my very best to take a good photo. This was the best I could do. We were strictly prohibited from taking photos and those tour guides were hawks!

Other items found in this museum include the anchor belonging to Christopher Columbus' Santa Maria, the pocketwatch, rosary, and rifle belonging to all 4 founding fathers, the golden crown of Haiti's first emperor Emperor Faustin, and pieces of the moon brought back from the United States' first trip to the moon back in 1969. 

I've heard the term "the Haiti they'll never show you" more than a few hundred times usually accompanied by a beautiful photo or video of Haiti, but I have never seen or heard of this Museum. The outside of the building is a sight in itself. For this museum to be only one floor, it is filled with rich ancient Haitian history. What hurts the most is the fact that we are unable to take photos inside the museum. If more people knew about the beautiful artifacts tucked away there it would attract more people to visit and learn about Haiti. 

Across the street on the left of the Museum is the statue of Henri Christophe, one of our founding fathers. 

Aross from there is "Neg Maron" hidden behind construction walls where Palais National or the National Palace used to be. Sadly, the palace was completely destroyed in the earthquake. Despite the walls, Neg Maron wasn't closed off. We were able to get inside by tipping the guard a few Haitian dollars. 

Neg Maron symbolized the the free slave. In one hand is a machete used to fight the French. In the other hand is a conch horn used to assemble freed slaves. On his ankles are broken shackles. There's a lot of debris surrounding Him still as the Palace is under construction. I cant necessarily call Neg Maron a tourist attraction yet, but I'm thankful to be able to take a few photos.

I've heard the term "the Haiti they'll never show you" more than a few hundred times accompanied by a beautiful photo or video of Haiti, but I have never seen or heard of this Museum. The outside of the building is a sight in itself. For this museum to be only one floor, it is filled with rich ancient Haitian history. What hurts the most is the fact that we are unable to take photos inside the museum. If more people knew about the beautiful artifacts tucked away there it would attract more people to visit and learn about Haiti.