Did you know that there exist in Peru 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
Today I´m going to focus only on three of them, which constitute some of the most fascinating and intriguing ones all over the world.
1. MACHU PICCHU
Not only is Machu Picchu one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites but it is also one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Rampant vegetation covered this stone citadel (ca. 1450 AD) for more than 400 years until 1911. Hiram Bingham, an American explorer, discovered it for the world. The Incas built this amazing sanctuary and fortress at 7972 feet a.s.l. in the XV century. Nowadays it continues to astonish for its magnificent building over such a difficult and steep land. They carried up to the mountain giant blocks of granite which fitted perfectly without any binding material. An aura of overwhelming mystery covers this place and its view is magnificent.
2. THE NASCA LINES
Other of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this one occupies an area of about 170 square miles on the desert 200 miles south of Lima. There are approximately 900 giant geoglyphs representing animals and formed by perfectly drawn lines, some measuring several miles long. They were formed by taking away the reddish pebbles covered with iron oxide on the desert and leaving out the white sand beneath.
The lines were first sighted from the air by the middle of last century. As a result many hypotheses arose as on how, why and who drew them. These ranged from fantastic theories such as the place served as an UFO airport to more probable ones such as it was an astronomical observatory. Archaeologists now suggest that they probably served to mark underground water sources or that they were like shrines where the Nasca people gathered to pray for water. The Nascas formed a pre-Columbian culture which flourished between the 1rst and 7th century. According to the Carbon 14 test, the lines date back to 550 AD.
3. CARAL
This is the most ancient city of America and the second oldest in the world, It became one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2009. The Sacred City of Caral is in the desert, around 4 hours by car north of Lima. It is a magnificent complex of temples and houses. Especially relevant is the fact that this civilization flourished at the same time than the Egyptians were building their pyramids.
Ruth Shady, a Peruvian archaeologist, working in Caral since 1994, discovered these ruins. She found reed and woven bags used to carry the stones to build the temples. Carbon 14 tests done in the year 2000 showed an antiquity of 2627 BC. The earthquake-proof buildings and knowledge of fluid mechanics show an advanced management of technology. Through years of exhaustive excavations and studies archaeologists didn´t find any war weapons. They recovered beautiful jewelry made of Ecuatorian seashells and Bolivian stones. These findings prove the long extent of their trade. A big arrangement of flutes made of animal bones show their love for music. Indeed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Sacred City of Caral constitutes a unique case in the history of civilization. In conclusiom, this was a peaceful and very advanced society which engaged in religion, trading and pleasure.
Private Lima Tours with Sara offers a full day tour from Lima to Caral. Kindly contact us for more information.