Ghent

The city of Ghent is the capital of the province of Oost-Vlaanderen in northwestern Belgium. It lies at the junction of the canalized Lys and Scheldt Rivers and is the center of an urban complex that includes Ledeberg, Gentbrugge, and Sint-Amandsberg. The settlement grew up around two monasteries that were built here in the 7th century, and expanded quickly after a fortress was built on a nearby small island in the 10th century. It was major commercial center, famous for its woolen textiles by the 13th century. The capital of medieval Flanders, it was a strong force against foreign rule through the centuries, and virtually independent from its nominal rulers the counts of Flanders and dukes of Burgundy until 1584. The city has retained a great deal of its medieval and Gothic art and architecture, notably the Gothic Cathedral of St. Bavon, or Baaf, dating from the 12th century, contains many famous works of art, including Hubert and Jan van Eyck's polyptych altarpiece, "The Adoration of the Lamb," also called the "Ghent Altarpiece" Its textile industry, which declined in the 17th century, revived later with the production of cotton cloth, which is still a major product. Its many museums make it a center of culture. The 2003 population estimate was about 226,900.