Zona 4
This neighborhood was built in 1890 to house a special exhibit in honor of the ParisWorld Fair. Zona 4 is filled with various government buildings, as well as most bus terminals. Its notable feature is the Civic Center, with its marvelous murals. This is a safe zone, but steer clear of its southern end, as it approaches Zona 3.
Centro Cívico, 7a Avenida 1-17. The Civic Center is made up of a number of important structures built during the 1950s and 1960s, when civic pride was at an all-time high. Among the noteworthy buildings are the Supreme Court (Corte Suprema de Justicia), the Social Security Institute (Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social), the Guatemalan Tourist Board (Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo, INGUAT), the Ministry of Finance (Ministerio de Finanzas Publicas) and the Bank of Guatemala (el Banco de Guatemala). These buildings are covered with incredible mosaics and murals created by Guatemala’s foremost artists. The most impressive of these are the mosaic of Carlos Merida on the social security building and the relief murals of Dagoberto Vazquez on the Bank of Guatemala Building.
Iglesia de Yurrita, Ruta 6 8-52 Calle Mariscal Cruz. This little church is one of the most beautiful in the capital. It was named after its designer, Don Felipe de Yurrita, who owned the land from 1928 to 1941. To show his religious devotion, Yurrita built this small chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It reveals an intricate and skillful mixture of Catalan art nouveau, neo-gothic and Mudejar styles. The façade uses cement, stone, tiles and bricks made from plaster, with obsidian, marble and tile accents. Inside are stained-glass windows, a carved marble altar and a painting of the Judgement of Christ in high relief. Open Saturdays from 6 pm until 9 pm and Sundays 8 am until 6 pm.
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