These are the ruins of the Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo (church and convent of Saint Domingo), which are currently being restored. Originally built in 1756, the main doorway utilized a 'flat arch', the Arco Chato, which was part of the argument for building the canal in Panama vs. Nicaragua. The argument in 1903 was that with a flat, unsupported arch standing for hundreds of years, it was obvious that there was no earthquake danger in Panama. In 2003, the arch collapsed (since rebuilt) the day after a politician publicly announced during the 100-year celebration of the beginning of the canal building, that it would 'stand forever'.