1.- INTRODUCTION
Peru is a multicultural country known worldwide for its tradition, history and culture. But this same culture is the mixture of all the ancient cultures that once inhabited this territory from great civilizations such as the Incas, Moche, Nazca and many others. Today we can only find records of their existence thanks to the discovery of the Ancient Ruins in Peru. But what ancient ruins are in Peru?, here we tell you everything you need to know:
2.- FAMOUS ANCIENT RUINS IN PERU
2.1.- Ancient ruins in Peru Machu Picchu
We can not begin a recount of the Ancient Ruins in Peru without mentioning as first place the Ancient ruins in Peru Machu Picchu. It is undoubtedly the main archaeological center of the Inca culture, besides being the best known. It is a citadel made of stone that is located on top of a mountain and for years has mesmerized travelers who come to visit it through its different ways (traditional and walking). Among all the Ancient Ruins in Peru this is the holy grail for travelers looking for fun and for those seeking to understand more about the culture itself. These Ancient Ruins in Peru are one of the most visited at present, even being named as a world wonder in 2007, its popularity has increased more during the last years.
3.- PLACES WHERE HISTORY IS KEPT ALIVE
“What ancient ruins are in Peru? ….from adventures over the mountains, freedom on the coast near the sea or with disconnection from the world in the Amazon jungle. No matter what kind of traveler you are, there is always an ideal place for everyone, one of the best ancient ruins in Perú is Chan Chan, the largest mud city in America.”
3.1.- Cusco and the Sacred Valley
It is no surprise that the capital of the Inca empire is also one of the main places where Ancient Ruins in Peru are located, in fact the whole region is a point of history and culture that is worth visiting and getting to know. Starting from Cusco to the incredible Sacred Valley, the main Ancient Ruins in Peru that can be visited here are:
- Saqsayhuaman: Known as a multifunctional archaeological center located in the upper part of the city of Cusco, although for years it was called a fortress due to the presence of impressive rocks weighing up to 100 tons the reality is that it had no such function.Like many other places this fulfilled many functions with the intention of being able to support the people who lived within the city of Cusco.
- Qenqo: Although it is not known for sure what its function was, it is attributed mainly ceremonial and funerary features, because in its interior were found certain elements that are participants only of ceremonies and religious rituals.
- Puka Pukara: This control point was strategically located to control the flow of people entering and in the same way to avoid any kind of enemy invasion, its characteristic name derives from what in the afternoon the sun’s rays cause its pigmentation becomes an intense reddish.
- Tambomachay: Among the worships that the Incas had, it stands out mainly their appreciation and at the same time the fine management they had on the element of water, creating canals that covered large areas with the intention of being able to supply certain areas and increase agricultural production, it is for this reason that this place is identified as one of the points in which purification rituals were performed with the use of water.
- Pisaq: One of the most popular Ancient Ruins in Peru in the entire sacred valley, it is characterized by its location on top of a mountain and the amount of agricultural terraces it contains, not to mention that this is the place where the largest Inca cemetery in the entire region is located on a mountainside. It is possible to visit it during the sacred valley experience on the way to the Ancient ruins in Peru Machu Picchu.
- Ollantaytambo: Known as an Inca fortress is the access point for visitors who wish to get to know the wonder of Machu Picchu. This archaeological center contains a large number of terraces that serve mainly as support as the main enclosures are located in the upper part of the mountain. From very important temples oriented to the sun to others called Colcas where materials or products were stored, something that also highlights much of these Ancient ruins in Peru is the size of the stones, between 70 to 100 tons were brought from the quarry Cachicata which is located in the mountain that is opposite, a complete mystery of how they moved.
- Chinchero: one of the most important handicraft villages of the Sacred Valley that maintains a textile tradition for generations. Inside you can also find the Ancient ruins in Peru of the Inca culture, an extensive collection of terraces in addition to a colonial church that is still preserved. For many this is a magical place where they can find a connection with the culture that is still alive.
3.2.- Chan Chan
The citadel of Chan Chan, is part of the Ancient Ruins in Peru that are considered as the oldest, this city built with adobe is also the largest of its kind. It is located in the coastal region of northern Peru, very close to the city of Trujillo, its territory reaches about 20 000 square kilometers. In its interior you can observe other 9 subdivisions that are also walled and contain other enclosures such as warehouses, houses and spaces oriented to religious ceremonies. And if you are still wondering, What ancient ruins are in Peru? Well, we tell you that they are not only archaeological centers, some are so important as is the case of the mud citadel of Chan Chan that were even declared by UNESCO as World Heritage.
4.- LESSER-KNOWN BUT SIGNIFICANT RUINS
4.1.- Caral
If you thought that nothing could impress you and you had the doubt, What ancient ruins are in Peru?, we present to you one of the oldest civilizations in America, it is much older than the Incas and it is located on the Peruvian coast. The civilization of Caral is one of the most popular nowadays and the Ancient Ruins in Peru that were found related to their culture are incredible. Inside you can get to see incredible pyramids of great size in addition to squares and irrigation systems that show how incredible their management of water resources is. Its historical record dates back to between 2600 years before Christ so it is associated with a parallel of time with Egypt and Mesopotamia, when you visit these Ancient Ruins in Peru you can understand a little more the advancement and sophistication that had the cultures in Peru during history.
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4.2.- Chavín de Huántar
The Ancient Ruins in Peru of Chavin de Huantar are located in the steep mountains of the Andes. It is considered as one of the most ancient historical centers of Peru with an antiquity around 1200 years before Christ, it is considered as the central place of the whole Chavin culture. Inside you can find buildings made mainly of stone, also squares and sectors that are subway which are associated with center where rituals were performed, mainly using the cactus known as San Pedro that gave hallucinogenic sensations. Of these Ancient Ruins in Peru highlights undoubtedly a popular object of great importance also known as the Monolithic Lanzon located in the old temple, a pillar made of stone with carved anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures.
4.3.- Kuélap
Among all the Ancient Ruins in Peru, Kuelap is considered the Ancient ruins in Peru Machu Picchu of the north. This fortress of great dimensions is located on the top of a mountain, in the middle of the cloudy forests of northern Peru. These Ancient Ruins in Peru belonged to the Chachapoyas culture, for this same location they were known as the “Warriors of the clouds”. Kuelap has an incredible view of the Utcubamba Valley surrounded by nature similar to a sanctuary and unlike other Ancient Ruins in Peru its buildings are not square or rectangular, they have a circular shape which distinguishes the Chachapoya culture.
4.4.- Nazca Lines and Geoglyphs
Although many of the Ancient Ruins in Peru are identified as archaeological centers there are spaces that have the same characteristic without being a construction, this is the case of the popular Nazca Lines. They are a set of geoglyphs marked on the ground of incredibly large proportions, so much so that it is necessary to fly over them to understand and identify their image, they are located in the vast desert of the province of Nazca and what causes greater intrigue is that despite the research that is done to this day has not been able to understand its purpose and even less how they were made.
Without a doubt, visiting any of the Ancient Ruins in Peru is the same as entering a time machine and getting to know the history that is kept in unique places in the world. Auri Peru will be your best travel companion during 2024, providing you with constant information and permanent advice, contact us and discover how to design a personalized adventure for you.
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