The oldest Latin American civilizations left a lot of mysteries to the descendants. One of such secrets was the origin of the hillfort of Tiwanaku in Bolivia. Today it is the remains of stone walls, statues and huge blocks that scientists are unsuccessfully trying to decipher. But once these walls were majestic palaces, temples and sanctuaries.

Creation of the gods

For admirers of the most unusual corners on Earth, a trip to Tiwanaku will be a real gift .As if the pages of history turn over before our eyes, and here we come from the twentieth century in the 2nd century of our era - the heyday of Tiwanako .The civilization that was able to build these huge structures is called by the name of its capital - Tiwanako .Once this city was the largest in the Central Andes, no wonder its original name in translation meant "center of the world" .Discovered the Inca ruins could not believe that all this was created by man, and attributed its origin to the divine power, and since the terrain was deserted, they called it the "Dead City" .

Extending for thousands of kilometers to the north and south, the state of Tiwanaku was a mighty trading and military power. Its inhabitants own the most complicated irrigation systems of fields, the water for which they took from Lake Titicaca.

The main attraction of Tiwanaku is the Kalalasay Palace. Its remains are surrounded by walls made of such huge stone blocks that you can not help thinking, but were not the Incas right, who consider them the creations of the giant gods. The monolithic walls of the palace were decorated with copper plates, which were kept on gold nails. From huge halls with portals and windows there were only columns.

The Sun Gate

The pearl of Tiwanaku is called a three-meter statue - Ponce monolith. It is a sculpture of pink stone, named after the archaeologist who opened it. Another monolith is Bennet, even more, its height is almost 7 meters. Near the eyes on these monuments are carved vertical paths, so it seems that the idols cry.

Another famous object is the gates of the Sun. Some scientists suggest that they represent an ancient solar and lunar calendar. The gates are covered with reliefs, in the center - the image of a man who looks like an astronaut. From his head, the rays diverge, which ends very oddly - the heads of cougars, the local representatives of the cat family.

Transport and accommodation

A mysterious settlement is located 70 km from the capital of Bolivia, the city of La Paz, you can get there by bus. Stop for a night near Tiwanaku will not work, so it's better to plan an excursion for one day to return to spend the night in the capital.