Port Royal set to become World Heritage Site, says Grange
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Port Royal is set to become a World Heritage Site by July, according to Culture Minister Olivia Grange.
She made the announcement at the floral tribute marking the 95th anniversary of the birth of former prime minister Edward Seaga on Wednesday.
“I proudly report today that I’ve received the good news from the World Heritage Centre that the evaluation team has recommended that our nomination of Port Royal should be accepted for inscription on the World Heritage List in July of this year,” Grange said.
“The Archaeological Landscape of 17th Century Port Royal” will join the Blue and John Crow Mountains as Jamaican properties on the World Heritage List.
The minister described the news as “another win for Jamaica”.
She said it was also news that “Mr Seaga would be proud to hear” as his administration of the 1980s had proposed three Jamaican sites, including Port Royal, to the World Heritage List.
Port Royal, once the enclave of pirates, grew to become the most important trading post and the most affluent town in the New World. The town became known as both the richest and the wickedest city in the west, if not the whole world.
At the height of its immense wealth in the 17th century, disaster struck. An earthquake on June 7, 1692 caused two-thirds of Port Royal to sink into the sea. Remarkably, 332 years on, it is a well-preserved site that captures life as it was being lived in Port Royal at the time.
Grange said the World Heritage Site designation, added to the development of the Cruise Ship Pier, would seriously enhance Port Royal’s and Jamaica’s culture and heritage tourism product.
