New book on “Belize Town” launched

It’s a growing trend all over the world: the reclamation, restoration, and preservation of historical sites for the benefit of future generations. But when physical structures are destroyed by natural or man made disasters, local researchers are determined to chronicle the past through literature. This morning during brief ceremonies at the House of Culture, the book “Discover Old Belize Town” was officially launched to the public. The project was commissioned by the National Institute of Culture and History as one way to record important sites around modern Belize City. According to its author, Dr. Aondofe Iyo, while every Belizean should be interested in the material presented, the compilation is also designed as a resource for the growing tourism industry.

Dr. Aondofe Joe Iyo
?One of the critiques that most academics have of tour guides throughout the world, it?s not particular to Belize, is their lack of information. They grow up hearing myths, stories about certain places, certain things, and that becomes fact to them in contradiction with the reality in historical records. So part of the idea is to have a work that is born out of academic exercise that will inform them, prepare them in ways that even if you have very educated tourists they will be able to explain and the tourists will go home very satisfied. So we are looking at the more diversified tourists coming to all the countries today, some very educated, some in a quest to do research and know what is going on. So this will provide them with that type of material that we hope to have available to them.?

“Discover Old Belize Town” was published by the Institute of Social and Cultural Research. The book includes maps, illustrations and historical pictures from the Eric King Collection, the Craig Family Collection, the Belize Archives Department, and the Image Factory Art Foundation.