Fort Santiago

The location where Fort Santiago is today, was once the site of the palace and kingdom of Rajah Suliman, chieftain of Manila of pre-Spanish era. However it was destroyed by the Spanish upon arriveing in 1570. Bloody fights with native Muslim and Tagaloq groups let to the palaces destruction and the rise of Fort Santiago, build for Spanish conquistador, Miguel López de Legazpi.

It is part of the structures of the walls of Intramuros - the walled city, where the spanish upper class and the few selcted good native people lived their protected lifes. It was also in this fortress that Dr. Rizal was imprisoned.

Once you enter Fort Santiago you come into a big courtyard which is today made out as a very beautyfull park. The middle of the courtyard is an oasis of springwater and palmtrees and the sorounding ruins and old guns and canons makes it both an interesting history lesson where you feel as if you are walking back in time as well as an escape from bustling metropolis of Manila.

On the left hand side from the entrance, you'll find an exhibition of warmachines dureing World War II and the wars impact on Intramuros.

After crossing the moat you enter a smaller courtyard which is one of the most beautyfull gardens in Manila, and a magnificent view over the Pasig River. This area of Fort Santiago is also home to the Rizal Shrine Musseum which unfortunately was closed when I was there.

But there's also left room to think about what kind of a world we live in - in one corner you'll find the memorial to those 600 bodies burried in a massgrave by the japaneese dureing World War II.

Overall Santiago is both educational, interesting and relaxing and a major experience that should be shared with someone close to you. It's easy to spend a couple of hours there.