Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Colombia Cartagena Door Knockers of Cartagena

Door Knockers of Cartagena

The colonial city's social history is reflected in its fanciful door knockers.

Cartagena, Colombia

Added By
Tony Dunnell
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Door knocker in Cartagena.   Jose Salgado
Door knocker in Cartagena.   Jose Salgado
Door knocker in Cartagena.   Jose Salgado
Door knocker in Cartagena.   Jose Salgado
Door knocker in Cartagena.   Jose Salgado
Door knocker in Cartagena.   Jose Salgado
Door knocker in Cartagena.   Jose Salgado
Fish door knocker   Davidsan181
Lizard door knocker   TitiNicola
Cartagena September 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
Cartagena September 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  stephenword / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
Octopus knocker   bbjames69 / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  stephenword / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
Fall 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  Planemadbear / Atlas Obscura User
Cartagena September 2019   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Cartagena’s historic Old Town is like an open-air museum. The colorful streets are strewn with impressive colonial architecture, and defensive walls and fortifications rise up around the historic center. And then there are the smaller, but just as telling, details, such as the large and fanciful door knockers that adorn many of the old wooden doors.

Cartagena was founded in 1533, and within years became a strategically key port city for the Spanish empire. Spain's influence on the architecture of the walled city is clear to see, although immigrants from France, Italy, and North Africa also had a role in shaping Cartagena’s distinct and undeniably attractive style. The door knockers, however, were very much a Spanish colonial thing.

During the period, a popular saying in Spain was “A tal casa tal aldaba,” or “To each house its door knocker.” This referred to the practice of displaying a resident’s social status or profession on their front door through the design of its knocker. This spilled over into the colonial city of Cartagena, which today displays an impressive array of knockers throughout the Old Town.

Take a stroll through the historic center and you’ll soon come across examples of these stylized door knockers, often attached to large wooden doors from the colonial period. At the time, the designs had specific and concrete meanings.

A knocker shaped as a fish or other sea creature meant the owner of the house was a member of the sea merchant community, or some other trade related to the sea. Lion head door knockers represented members of the army, militia leaders, and other protectors of the city. Lion heads are quite common, which is no surprise considering Cartagena’s history of fending off pirates and English armadas.

The clergy, meanwhile, marked their homes with knockers in the shape of hands. And if you were knocking on the door of a home with a lizard-shaped knocker, then you’d better be wearing your finest clothes. These were the homes of high society, typically with some kind of royal connection. In all cases, the size and quality of the door knocker was also demonstrative of the resident’s social status: If you wanted to show off your credentials to passersby, only a finely crafted big brass knocker would do.

Not all of the door knockers in the city today are old, however, as the tradition of making knockers has continued into the present day. Cartagena’s modern door knockers, while still pretty and functional, often dispense with tradition in favor of, well, whatever the homeowner desires.

Related Tags

Doors Colonialism Houses Architecture Architectural Oddities Culture History Homes

Know Before You Go

For a day of door knocker-spotting, head to the Old Town and stroll around districts like San Diego and Matuna. Keep an eye out for large wooden doors, especially in wealthier areas, which are the most likely to have impressive door knockers.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Colombia Discovery: Coffee, Art & Music

Explore Colombia's depth: art, history, culture & transformation.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Tony Dunnell

Edited By

Meg, stephenword, ccesare, bbjames69...

  • Meg
  • stephenword
  • ccesare
  • bbjames69
  • Planemadbear
  • traceyjaynne

Published

May 10, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://cartagenacolombiarentals.com/2016/08/door-knockers-cartagena/
  • http://amp.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/cartagena-doorknockers-travel
  • http://www.eluniversal.com.co/suplementos/facetas/el-toque-de-las-aldabas-116698
  • https://www.elrincondesele.com/las-aldabas-en-las-puertas-de-cartagena-de-indias/
Door Knockers of Cartagena
372-3778 Cra. 8
Cartagena
Colombia
10.426521, -75.548274
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Ábaco Libros y Café

Cartagena, Colombia

miles away

The Palace of the Inquisition

Cartagena, Colombia

miles away

Convento de la Popa

Cartagena, Colombia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cartagena

Cartagena

Colombia

Places 9
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Ábaco Libros y Café

Cartagena, Colombia

miles away

The Palace of the Inquisition

Cartagena, Colombia

miles away

Convento de la Popa

Cartagena, Colombia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cartagena

Cartagena

Colombia

Places 9
Stories 1

Related Places

  • Pomerode’s German architecture on display at the Carl Weege house museum.

    Pomerode, Brazil

    Carl Weege Immigrant House Museum

    The preserved home of the first settler of "the most German town in Brazil."

  • The Staple Street Skybridge in Tribeca.

    New York, New York

    Staple Street Skybridge

    Imagine having a street run right through your home, or better yet, a historic bridge three stories high.

  • Warwickshire, England

    Baddesley Clinton

    This medieval manor house was equipped with secret compartments for hiding priests.

  • The last known Carville house.

    San Francisco, California

    Last Known Carville House

    The sole surviving relic of the San Francisco neighborhood cobbled together from old horsecars and streetcars.

  • The Wonder House in 2014.

    Bartow, Florida

    Wonder House

    Given just one more year to live, Conrad Schuck built his dream house in Bartow, Florida.

  • Edison concrete houses along Polk Street in Gary, Indiana

    Montclair, New Jersey

    Thomas Edison's Concrete Houses

    Edison's cast-in-place concrete houses were a failure, but way ahead of their time.

  • Witch window in Craftsbury, Vermont.

    Craftsbury, Vermont

    Witch Windows

    According to folklore, Vermont's slanted windows were installed to keep witches from flying into the house.

  • Bird palace.

    Istanbul, Turkey

    Ottoman Bird Palaces

    The ornate miniature mansions were built for Istanbul's feathered residents.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.