HeritagePhoto Wikimedia CommonsChan Chan
Peru
After Huaca Dragon, we head to the enormous archeological site of Chan Chan, declared the largest ancient city in South America. As the former center of Chimu politics and commerce, the 7-square-mile (18-sq-km) site boasts shrines, cemeteries, ceremonial plazas and reservoirs. Tour all of the significant features with your guide, discovering architectural precision and delving deeper into its ancient history.
Contents
10 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Orientation
Welcome to the awe-inspiring expanse of the Chan Chan Archaeological Zone. You have arrived at a place that challenges our very understanding of ancient urban planning and monumental architecture. …
Listen in the app2The Nikan Palace Entrance
You are now standing before the imposing main entrance of the Nikan Palace, previously known to the world as the Tschudi complex. Stop and look up at the towering perimeter walls that loom before you. …
Listen in the app3The Grand Ceremonial Courtyard
Having passed through the fortified entrance, you now emerge into the breathtaking expanse of the Grand Ceremonial Courtyard. Take a moment to absorb the sheer, unadulterated scale of this open plaza. …
Listen in the app4The Corridor of the Changing Currents
You have left the blazing sun of the open courtyard and entered the shaded, narrow passageways known as the Corridors of the Sea. As you walk through these high-walled alleys, you are following the exact processional route used…
Listen in the app5The King's Treasure House
Navigate carefully as we step into a more secluded and highly protected sector of the palace. You are now standing in the area known as the King's Treasure House. …
Listen in the app6The Royal Audience Chamber
Welcome to the administrative and political heart of the Nikan complex. You have entered the Royal Audience Chamber, the very space where the divine Chimu king would hold court, receive foreign emissaries, and manage the affairs…
Listen in the app7The Grand Huachaque Water Garden
Follow the path downward now, descending from the elevated administrative platforms into a startlingly different environment. You have reached the Grand Huachaque, a massive, sunken rectangular garden located entirely within the…
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Prepare yourself as we enter the most sacred, solemn, and ultimately the most chilling sector of the Nikan Palace. You are now standing before the Royal Funerary Platform. …
Listen in the app9The Outer Walls and the Fall of the Empire
For our final stop within the complex, we have moved to the northern outer perimeter walls. Stand here and look eastward, past the crumbling adobe ruins, toward the jagged silhouette of the Andean foothills in the distance,…
Listen in the app10Final Reflections
As our journey through the labyrinthine ruins of Chan Chan draws to a close, let us return toward the main entrance of the Nikan Palace. The sun is likely lower in the sky now, casting long, dramatic shadows across the baked…
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What is Chan Chan?
Chan Chan is a place in Peru with 10 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Peru |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 10 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | -8.1055, -79.0746 |
| Last updated |
