The Waterkant is the oldest and one of the most important streets of

Paramaribo Paramaribo (; ; nicknamed Par'bo) is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname' ...

, Suriname. The street is located in the historic

centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics * Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentri ...

on the Suriname River, and was the location where ships used to arrive. The street starts at the

Onafhankelijkheidsplein The Onafhankelijkheidsplein (, Independence Square) is a town square in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname. The square is situated in the historical inner city, near the Suriname River and the Presidential Palace of Suriname. Before the indepen ...

and extends to the

Central Market Central Market may refer to: *Central Market, a 2009 album by Tyondai Braxton Fresh food markets * Adelaide Central Market, Australia * Cardiff Central Market, Wales *Central Market, Hong Kong * Central Market, Casablanca, Morocco * Riga Central ...

. As of 2002, it has been designated a

Unesco The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

History

Paramaribo was founded in 1613 by Stoffel Albertszoon near the

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

village Parmurbo. According to a legend, it was named after chief "Para Maro" who built a

quay A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths ( mooring locatio ...

near the

Garden of Palms Garden of Palms or Palmgardens (Dutch: ''Palmentuin'') is a palm tree landscape garden in Paramaribo, Suriname. In addition to tall royal palms, the grounds are home to tropical birds and a "troop" of capuchin monkeys.English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: waterside

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

: waterkant), hence Para Maro Rembo. Museon 114903 - Op een feestdag langs de 'waterkant' Paramaribo

Van Sommelsdijck captured Suriname from the British in 1683, and found 27 or 28 houses around Fort Zeelandia. He started to extend the village along Waterkant and Gravenstraat. The Suriname River near Waterkant is more than one kilometre wide, and provided plenty of space for ships. It was therefore the location where the ships were loaded and unloaded. On 21 January 1821, a major fire started at the corner of Waterkant and

which destroyed about 400 houses in the centre of the city. The street was given a new façade by city architect Johan August who designed monumental white wooden buildings with galleries.

Current situation

Waterkant has remained one of the most important and busiest streets of the city. On the waterside of the street, there are many food stalls and terraces. The street is aligned with important buildings like the

Weigh House A weighhouse or weighing house is a public building at or within which goods are weighed. Most of these buildings were built before 1800, prior to the establishment of international standards for weights, and were often a large and representative ...

, the

Central Bank A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is an institution that manages the currency and monetary policy of a country or monetary union, and oversees their commercial banking system. In contrast to a commercial bank, a central b ...

, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the

and the Martin Luther Church. All buildings are made of wood except for the Weigh House and the Central Bank which are built in stone, and a brick house at number 10. The ferry to

Meerzorg Meerzorg (Sranan Tongo: Ansu) is a town and resort (municipality) in Suriname, located on the eastern bank of the Suriname River, directly opposite the capital Paramaribo. Its population at the 2012 census was 12,405. Since 2000 it has been conne ...

is located on Waterkant.

References

Bibliography

* {{coord, 5.82518, -55.15303, display=title Ports and harbours in Suriname Streets in Paramaribo Tourist attractions in Suriname