Taking care of Chan Chan for future generations

Work on the restoration of Chan Chan is bringing the imperial city of the Chimu back to the way it used to be, when their kingdom ruled the northern deserts of the Peruvian coast from Tumbes to Lima. Recently, over two kilometers of walls have been restored by a team of 500 people. The walls are twelve meters high and four meters wide on their base; they surround three of the main palaces in the city: Tschudi, Bandelier, and Velarde.

 

Chan Chan is the largest adobe city of pre-Columbian America and is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site since 1986; it was built by the skillful Chimus around 850 AD and fell under Inca domination in 1470 AD. The mud city of Chan Chan covers approximately twenty square kilometers and was home for over 100,000 people, it is located near the colonial city of Trujillo in northern Peru.

Pomac Forest Historic Sanctuary

The Pomac Forest, once the center of the ancient Sican Culture, embraces the highest number of pre-Inca pyramids in South America, which emerged from one of the largest equatorial dry forests of the world. Within the 5,887 hectares of the sanctuary, many archaeological sites have yield important information that is helping researchers learn more about the Sican Culture (900 to 1100 AC). The objects found by the archaeologists are restored and later exhibited in the National Museum of Sican where the jewelry of the Lord of Sican is in exhibition. Furthermore, the sanctuary’s flora and endemic fauna attracts nature observers such as bird-watchers from around the world.

Most of the dry forest is made of algarrobo trees which beans are used to produce algarrobina flour and syrup for culinary arts. A popular frothy mocha-like drink called Algarrobina, is made with the algarrobina syrup and pisco, the Peruvian liquor. Zapote trees, vichayo bushes, and big cactus, among other flora abound in the forest too. Bird lovers could find 70 species, 22 of them endemic, such as the huerequeque and the red head parrot. Among mammals, there are anteaters, mountain cats, foxes, vampire bats, and squirrels. As for reptiles, the forest is a haven for iguanas, boas, pacasos, and coralillos. This is a unique environment of nature and culture worth visiting in Peru.