Airai Bai

Bai Ra Irrai
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Airai, Babeldaob, Palau
Coordinates	7°21′40″N134°33′37″E / 7.36111°N 134.56028°E / 7.36111; 134.56028
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built	1890 (1890)
Architect	Multiple
NRHP reference No.	76002195 [1]
Added to NRHP	September 20, 1976

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]

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

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "NRHP nomination for Bai Ra Irrai". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-03-12.