Airai Bai

Bai Ra Irrai
Location Airai, Babeldaob, Palau
Area 2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built 1890 (1890)
NRHP Reference # 76002195[1]
Added to NRHP September 20, 1976

The Airai Bai ("Men's Meetinghouse of Airai" in Palauan) is a traditional meetinghouse in the Airai municipality on Babeldaob, the largest island in the island nation of Palau. It is located in the center of the village on a stone platform that had previously held earlier bais, and is located at the junction of two traditional stone pathways. The building is 68 by 20 feet (20.7 m × 6.1 m), rising to a height of 40 feet (12 m) at its peak. Its facade and interior beams are decorated with depictions of Palauan legends. It was built around 1890, and underwent a major restoration in the 1970s. The building and site have long been the spiritual and civic centerpiece of the community.[2]

The building was listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places (as "Bai Ra Irrai") in 1976,[1] a time when Palau was part of the United States Trust Territories of the Pacific.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. "NRHP nomination for Bai Ra Irrai" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 7/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.