The University of Cartagena

People snap photos of it from every angle, walk up to its door, admire it with their heads tilted back, and search for the perfect perspective to capture its beauty. The University of Cartagena is an architectural gem that keeps photographers on their toes. Founded in 1827 by two prominent figures in Cartagena’s history—Colombian Francisco de Paula Santander and Venezuelan Simón Bolívar, both renowned for their roles in the independence movements of several Latin American and South American nations against the Spanish Empire. The university has deep historical roots. Housed in the former Augustinian convent, it initially offered just two fields of study: law and medicine. By the 1950s, new programs in economics, social sciences, and engineering were added. As the oldest university in northern Colombia, Cartagena University was also the first in the Caribbean to earn institutional accreditation for high quality from the Ministry of National Education—a seal that guarantees excellence in higher education.