Chan Chan
The adobe metropolis
The remains of Chan Chan lie in the Moche Valley, 5 km (3 miles) northwest of the city of Trujillo. The largest mud-brick citadel built by a pre-Hispanic civilization in the Americas, Chan Chan (which means Sun-Sun) was the religious and administrative capital of the Chimu kingdom until the conquest by the Incas. UNESCO listed it as a World Cultural Heritage in 1986.
The archaeological site covers an area of 20 square kilometers (7.7 square miles) that once was inhabitated
by around 100,000 people -- three types of buildings show there was housing for several different social classes, from low-income and intermediate levels to the palaces where the Chimu-Capac lords lived.
The citadel was built between the 12th and 15th centuries A.D., and was comprised of nine walled structures between some 200 meters to 400 meters long (up to 1,312 ft), made up of flat-topped pyramids, plazas, houses, storage areas, factories and a
labyrinthine network of streets. The hydraulic system included remarkable irrigation canals and reservoires as well as expertly-built underground aqueducts and ditches, used to carry water across enormous distances. One of Chan Chan's features is its walls heavilydecorated with haute-relief geometric, animal and mythological figures. Originally, the walls were once a
little more than 12 m (39 ft) tall.
A number of well-known archaeologists and scientists have carried out research in the area, including the Swiss national Juan Diego De Tschudi, whose name has been given to one of the sections in the complex. Finds indicate that the Grand Chimu kingdom reached a peak in which its people developed very sophisticated architecture and agriculture to overcome the desert,
and expressed their arts through creative pottery and metallurgy, including exquisitely delicate filigree, for which they are known as the finest jewelsmiths of ancient Peru.
Chan Chan is also known for its legends, which tell of the existence of treasures found within the complex. Among these is one of a chair of gold and pearls which, they say, was discovered in 1535 by Martin De Estete, founder of Trujillo; and there is the story of a foreigner called Ephraim George Squier who in 1864 found silver goblets which he had melted down.
Today, the archaeological complex has a site museum and tourist facilities.
Altitude
34 masl (100 ft)
How to Get There
- By air: daily flights from Lima to Trujillo (50 minutes).
- Overland: Buses to Trujillo on the Pan-American Highway due north from Lima (561 km/348 miles - 8 hours); from Chiclayo (210 km/ 130 miles - 3 hours); and from Piura (410 km/255 miles - 6 hours).
- Public transport from Trujillo to Chan Chan (5 km/3 miles - 15 minutes) and the Huanchaco resort (13 km/8 miles - 25 minutes). Public transport to the Temples of the Sun and the Moon (8 km/4.9 miles - 20 minutes).
Lodging
Up to five-star hotels and hostels in Trujillo.
Activities
Archaeology and trekking.
Tourist Services
Transport services. Travel agencies offer a variety of programs.
Minimum Length of Stay
Two days to see the archaeological sites, an additional day to include a tour of Trujillo's historical quarter.
Recommendations
Sunscreen, light clothing, hat.
Season / Climate
Can be visited all year round. The region is temperate and warm, particularly hot during the summer months (December-March).
|
