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Chan Chan: A Combination of Archeological Value and Beauty

Chan Chan is located in La Libertad, a region of Peru near the north of Trujillo. It is the largest Pre-Columbian city of South America. This archeological site covers an area of 20 sq. km.

The kingdom of Chimú (the Chimor) was a civilization of the late intermediate period that grew from the remaining members of the Moche civilization. The Chimú Kingdom built Chan Chan between 850 and 1470. Around 30,000 people lived in Chan Chan. The city was the capital of the Chimor until the Incas conquered the kingdom of Chimú in the 15th century.

Citadels of ten walls structure this city. Chan Chan had burial chambers, ceremonial rooms, reservoirs, residences and temples. Each citadel is configured as a rectangle and has an entrance facing the north, a labyrinth and high walls.

Hurricane “El Niño” caused heavy rains in the coast of Peru threatening Chan Chan with the possibility of provoking erosion. Today, visitors of Chan Chan can enter one of the last citadels built in the city: the Tschudi Complex. Other ruins of the Chimú Kingdom are located near Trujillo. In 1986, Chan Chan was included in the List of World Heritage in Danger of UNESCO and named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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