Mahalo to Nancy Eberly for sharing this neat shot for Aloha Friday Photo. Here, we see two significant Honolulu landmarks — the building is Ali’iolani Hale and the statue is of King Kamehameha I.
King Kamehameha I (also known as King Kamehameha the Great) was a great warrior, diplomat and leader who united the Hawaiian Islands into one royal kingdom in 1810. A statewide holiday honoring King Kamehameha is officially recognized on June 11, but celebrations will span over a couple of weeks across the Hawaiian Islands. Typical festivities include parades and floral lei draping on King Kamehameha statues. If you can visit this particular spot next Friday, you will see this statue with many long lei draped on the outstretched arms of the statue.
The building in this photo, Ali’iolani Hale, was commissioned by King Kamehameha V, the great-grandson of King Kamehameha the Great. It was built between 1871 and 1874. Ali’iolani Hale was originally designed to be a palace, but was ultimately dedicated as a government building. It’s currently the home of the Hawaii State Supreme Court.
Fans of the TV show Hawaii Five-0 may find this scene familiar. In the show, Ali’iolani was the headquarters for Steve McGarrett, Danno and the other crime-fighting detectives of the Five-0 team.
Happy Aloha Friday!
Sheila Beal
