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]
Bai Ra Irrai | |
  | |
| Location | Airai, Babeldaob, Palau |
|---|---|
| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1890 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| NRHP reference No. | 76002195[1] |
| Added to NRHP | September 20, 1976 |
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.
References
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "NRHP nomination for Bai Ra Irrai". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
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