Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku is an ancient stone city near Lake Titicaca, built long before the Inca by one of South America's oldest civilizations. Today it is a famous ruin with giant carved gateways and statues.
It is famous for the Gate of the Sun, a huge stone doorway covered in mysterious carvings, and for stone faces built into ancient walls. People come to wonder how such enormous rocks were cut and moved so long ago.
The Gate of the Sun
This famous doorway is carved from a single giant block of stone and decorated with a figure that may stand for the sun. It has puzzled and amazed visitors for many years.
Stone Faces in the Walls
In a sunken courtyard, dozens of different carved stone faces stick out from the walls. Each one looks different, like a gallery of ancient portraits.
A Very Old City
Long ago this was a busy center for thousands of people, with temples, plazas, and clever water channels. Walking here is like stepping back thousands of years in time.