Rabinal

Rabinal on the map of Guatemala

Rabinal is a small town in Guatemala. Rabinal is located in the center of the department of Baja Verapaz, and is the administrative seat of the greater community ( municipality ), which comprises 304 km ² and 45,000 inhabitants. The local population mainly comes from the Maya.

History

Rabinal was founded in 1537 by the Dominican friar Bartolomé de Las Casas Spanish mission in a very remote area. 1572 the construction of the baroque Cathedral was completed. Rabinal reached a certain importance because it was the then important direct connection from Guatemala City to Coban and Petén. Middle of the 19th century, had the French ethnologist Charles Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg, who made an outstanding contribution to the understanding of the local Mayan culture. During the Guatemalan civil war Rabinal was repeatedly the scene of fierce fighting between the leftist guerrillas and the army. In particular, in 1982 here several massacres of civilians took place, which was accused of supporting the guerrilla movement. Another reason for these crimes was that people sometimes defended with violence against the then still in planning reservoir of Chixoy site.

Economy and Transport

The people of Rabinal and the surrounding area live mainly from agriculture. Rabinal is known for its pottery and the artful painting their products. Tourism is very little developed because of the remoteness of the city. Default traffic Rabinal is connected via Salamá and El Rancho to the Atlantic route ( CA 9 ), and thus to Guatemala City. However, there is also an old direct connection from Guatemala City via San Juan Sacatepéquez Montúfar, Granados and Santa Cruz El Chol after Rabinal ( Ruta 5). This old direct connection between Guatemala City and the Petén is asphalted but in this section, in particular between Montúfar Rabinal and only to a small extent and extremely curvy. In the dry season it can be driven as an alternative connection between Baja Verapaz and Guatemala with a car. For this route from Guatemala City to Rabinal about five hours driving time should be scheduled.

Attractions

Next to the cathedral and the municipal museum is considered to be worth seeing. It has a collection of objects and tools of the local Mayan culture. In one area there is a documentary about the civil war and the crimes that were committed in the area of Rabinal. Nearby Rabinals there are several archaeological sites, where the way of life of Achí Maya from the classical period can be traced.

Rabinal is also known for its patronal fiesta that is celebrated every year in late January, and for the enactment of a legendary battle between Achí Maya and Quiché Maya. This technique, known as Rabinal Achí ballet spectacle was declared by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.