Chan Chan in Peru
Thought to have been the world’s largest adobe city, Chan Chan is situated on the Peruvian coast, close to the Pacific Ocean near the town of Trujillo. The city was constructed by the Chimu Emprie around the ninth century and remained in existence until the Incas began establishing their stronghold in the 15th Century and, hence, conquered Chan Chan. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, this amazing city is consistently threatened by vandals but mostly by the weather conditions that exist in the coastal area, including floods, heavy rain, strong winds, and tornados. Because of this, touring of the site is limited.
It is believed that Chan Chan was once home to about 30,000 individuals from the Moche civilization, which flourished in northern Peru. They were especially well known for their construction practices and irrigation systems as well as their amazing architectural skills, ceramics, and gold work. Chan Chan is an excellent example of all these things.
The city was once composed of ten walled citadels. The “mud” walls were made of adobe brick and then covered over with a smooth material. Moche artists would then carve intricate patterns and pictures into the surface, including geometrical designs as well as fish, birds, turtles, and other objects pertinent to life in 9th Century coastal Peru. These craftspeople belonged to the privileged class but it is believed that there were also servants to the monarch living in Chan Chan.
Visiting Chan Chan and the Trujillo area should include a first stop at the local museum, which allows guests to learn a little about the Chimor culture. As far as the ruins are concerned, there are four main sites that tourists can still visit and it’s not hard to walk from site to site, even though the ruins are fairly spread out. (The heat can be a problem, however.) If you find you have a limited amount of time, head for the Tschudi Palace, which is the best-preserved area. It once housed some 1,000 nobles and the courtyard of the palace still contains some excellent friezes.
Visitors are free to explore the open portions of Chan Chan on their own. However, many travelers prefer to book a guide (there are plenty that speak English) because he/she can provide a better understanding of the culture and what took place in this amazing city.
The country’s National Institute of Culture continues
to look at ways to preserve this important site including erecting some sort
of protective structures over the best-preserved parts of Chan Chan in order
to avoid further damage. Various friezes are being hardened and thus
protected with a natural solution of cactus juice and distilled water.
Still, other works of art are being photographed and then covered, with
photographic panels being used to allow visitors to see what’s underneath.
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