In the southwestern part of the island of Luzon, at the mouth of the Pasing River on the east coast of Manila Bay, lies one of the most beautiful cities - Manila. Its name in the Tagalog dialect sounds literally like this: "where the nila grows." Nila is a plant that is the source of natural indigo dye. The city was founded in the 16th century. There was a Spanish colonial settlement here. After the appearance of the first governor of Legaspi, the city turned into the administrative center of the colony, and then began to bear the status of the "capital of the Philippines".
This city is considered the most populous in the country. On its territory with an area of 38 thousand 55 sq. km. more than 1,700,000 inhabitants live. In 1948-1975, the capital city created Kaesong City, and in 1975 the National Capital Region was formed.
Modern Manila is a conglomeration of 17 satellite cities, each of which is different from each other. This includes Manila itself, Pasai, Kaesong City, Mandaluyong, Pasig and others. In addition, the capital of the PhilippinesManila is the largest port located on the coast of Manila Bay. Its main feature is the fact that there is never a storm here, and the depth of the spacious harbor allows even large ships to enter here.
The capital of the Philippines, Manila, has the historic center of Intramuros, which is located on the site where Fort Santiago was located. Previously, there was a fortress belonging to Raja Suleiman-Manil. It was built from bamboo. The fort is very easy to reach from the Ermita area by ordering a taxi.
Opposite the fort, Manila Cathedral majestically overlooks the city. Its building was built of unbaked bricks in the Romanesque style. During the Second World War, the capital of the Philippines was almost completely destroyed. By some miracle, the church of St. Augustine and the museum managed to survive. This baroque church is today the oldest building in the city, which managed to survive five earthquakes and the strongest bombing, after which the whole of Manila turned into ruins. In the church building, the temple tower was only partially destroyed, which was not reconstructed. It is for this reason that today it looks a little asymmetrical. Near the church there is another historical building - a monastery, in the courtyard of which there is a beautiful garden. Now there is a museum where works of church art are carefully stored.
But these are not all the most interesting places that the Philippines is rich in. The attractions of Manila do not end there. Nearfrom the monastery is a complex of reconstructed buildings of Plaza San Luis. Currently, galleries of ancient art, beautiful restaurants and bars are located here. The same complex houses the Casa Manila Museum, whose collections are dedicated to the life of the local aristocracy.
Going on vacation to the Philippines, the capital Manila invites guests to visit the largest park in Southeast Asia, Rizal Park. On its territory there are many interesting places, including a planetarium, a butterfly park, a monument to the heroes of the Philippines and a live orchid pavilion. It is a kind of border between the tourist part and the modern area of Ermita. In the same park there is a national museum of the country, which presents the richest collections of historical, biological, ethnographic and geological exhibits.
