“Although no one is certain whether it was the capital of a nation, Tiwanaku undoubtably served as a great ceremonial center. At its peak, the city had a population of 20,000 inhabitants. While only a small percentage of the original site has been excavated, Tiwanaku represents the greatest megalithic architectural achievement of pre-Inca South America.”
Lonely Planet Bolivia
Last weekend we decided to stay in Jupapina and do some excursions from La Paz. On Friday we went out to Tiwanaku, the most significant archeological site in Bolivia. We took a tour with Viacha Tours. Our guide was Freddie. He was highly entertaining and very informative.
The sun gate
One of the statues about to be relocated to the museum.
East of the main entrance is the Semi-subterranean Temple. Some think this temple represents the Underworld……………. Made of red sandstone, the Subterranean Temple measures 26m by 28m in area and includes a rectangular sunken courtyard. Its walls are decorated with 175 intriguing sculptures of human faces. Some of the faces strongly resemble modern depictions of aliens, which naturally has led to some interesting speculations.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/bolivia/tiwanaku
Can you spot my twin alien?
Excavation and restoration is constantly going on.
Notice the two colours of this statue due to the sun. The birds also seemed to like him!
Freddie showing us how a blessing is taken from the sun on Aymara new year on June 21st each year.
Posted with Blogsy
Leave a Reply