BÓT CATINAT

Bót Catinat was a notorious prison in Saigon, where many Vietnamese people were tortured and interrogated by the French colonial authorities. They were subjected to brutal violence and abuse in the dark and damp cells of Bót Catinat, before being transferred to the Central Prison or executed. Bót Catinat was situated in such close proximity to the famous Notre Dame Cathedral that it earned the reputation of "Hell next to heaven" - insinuating a place of horror and despair for its inmates. The prison was operated until 1954 when the French left Vietnam. The building then became the headquarters of the South Vietnamese Ministry of Interior, and later the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.