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| You are in: Home > Services > Places to visit > Tiwanaku |
Tiwanaku
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Tiwanaku is one of the great monumental centers of native Andean cultures. It is located 44 miles (71 km) from the city of La Paz. Only a small portion of the ruins of this great civilization have been excavated. Tiwanaku is believed to have been be a huge seaport settled on the shore of a large sea. Lake Titicaca, the remnant of this sea, has receded, shrinking in size with changes in water level over the centuries. The ruins now reside about 15 miles (24 km) from the shore of the Lake, at an altitude of 12,500 ft (3845 m).
Most archeologists have concluded that the Tiawanaku culture began in the region at about 1600 B.C. and flourished until at least 1200 A.D. Some theorize that the civilization might have origins as ancient as 12.000 B. C. or older. These researchers consider Tiwanaku to be the “Cradle of Civilization” and the oldest city of the world. Tiwanaku was the center of a powerful, self-sustaining empire. Agriculture, cattle, and fishing were the main activities that sustained this civilization. Very little is known of the city’s administration, structure and the interaction of as many as 50,000 urban dwellers who inhabited it. What remains now is one of the world’s most ancient cities, shrouded in mystery.
Parts of the city were built with numerous massive one piece block stones that weighted up to 150 tons each. These remarkable stones were precisely cut and notched, then fitted together with such exacting precision that virtually no space remained and no mortar was required. Copper or silver was poured into special notches to clamp or rivet the stones together. How this ancient people was able to transport these enormous blocks several miles from the quarry to their eventual construction site remains a mystery to this day.
Several theories exist as to the origin of the architecture and orientation of the structures of Tiwanaku. Some theorize that temples and other buildings were aligned according to astronomical configurations. The Kalasasaya Temple seems to be a giant clock (a solar temple). Based on the sun’s movements, the Gate of the Sun was aligned with the sunrise. The Akapana Temple seems to be oriented towards the 4 cardinal points, etc.
Temples were constructed as monolithic structures; they have decorative, incised heads carved on their walls. Marvelous monuments such as the monoliths, the Gate of the Sun and others have deeply carved designs of human figures, condors, toxodons, elephants and important religious and ritual symbols. The Tiwanaku Civilization also produced beautiful and elaborate pottery. The temples, it is believed, were filled with gold, textiles and paintings. Certain stunning monoliths were covered in pure hammered gold when discovered by Spanish conquistadors. Remnants of this art and metal tools found at the site can be seen in the local museum.
Below are some of the temples, palaces and monuments that can be seen in Tiwanaku:
Kalasasaya Temple
Akapana Palace
Kontiki (a semi underground Temple)
Kantaita
Putuni
Puma Punku (Door of the Puma)
Monolithes
Archeological Museum in Tiwanaku
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