Chan Chan, the northern metropolis

It is at the foot of the Andean Cordillera, just a stone's throw away from Trujillo, the 'capital of eternal spring', that the pre-Inca culture of Chimu is best illustrated. Built from clay earth, the citadel of Chan Chan, meaning 'sun sun', rises above a desert region. It represents the great politico-religious organisation of the northern Peruvian lords, not so much by their gold work but by their remarkable level of urban science. On an area of almost 8sq mi, the town welcomed in the 13th century a large population of around 100,000 inhabitants. The town constituted the religious and administrative capital of a vast kingdom, which was later dominated by the Incas. It boasts nine structures of between 650 to 1,100ft in length, housed by walls which rise 40ft. Within a maze of roads you'll find truncated pyramids, palaces, public squares, housing, warehouses and ceramic and metallurgic workshops. A hydraulic system distinguishes itself by its irrigation canals and reservoirs, as well as by its underground aqueducts and cleverly built rivulets which transport water over long distances. Just like Machu Picchu to the south, the star city of the Inca Empire, the Chan Chan site reflects the mastery and ingenious exploitation by the Chimus of the difficult environment; a creativity in continual development by successive pre-Inca cultures which allowed them to rise to the challenges of nature. And which allowed the Incas to extend the powerful empire of the lords of the Andes.

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