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Kuelap, the Ancient Fortress That Aims to Become the Second Biggest Tourist Destination in Peru
Kuelap, the Ancient Fortress That Aims to Become the Second Biggest Tourist Destination in Peru
Translation posted 5 February 2016 11:54 GMT
https://es.globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Kuélap1.jpg
Kuelap is an important Peruvian archaeological site located in the province of Luya, in the Amazonas region, built by the Chachapoya culture of Andean people 1,000 years ago. It might not be so well known worldwide as Peru's Machu Picchu, the ancient, sky-high estate built by the Incas, but Peruvian authorities are trying to change that.
Kuelap, a kind of walled city, has the following features, according to tour group Tambopata:
Translation
Original Quote
It's a huge stone architectural complex, located at the top of a mountain 3,000 metros above sea level [about 9,800 feet]. According to some estimations, it was built circa 1,000 AD, when the Chachapoya culture was at its peak.
In the native laguage, Kuelap means “cold place”, a reference to the fact that despite its location in the Peruvian jungle, it has temperate weather, dry during the day and with very low temperatures during the night.
Original Quote
It's a huge stone architectural complex, located at the top of a mountain 3,000 metros above sea level [about 9,800 feet]. According to some estimations, it was built circa 1,000 AD, when the Chachapoya culture was at its peak.
In the native laguage, Kuelap means “cold place”, a reference to the fact that despite its location in the Peruvian jungle, it has temperate weather, dry during the day and with very low temperatures during the night.
The archaeological complex was “rediscovered” in January 31, 1843, by Juan Crisóstomo Nieto, a judge from Chachapoyas. While carrying out work related to his position, he arrived at the virtually unknown site — due to its location in a forested and rainy area that is hard to access — with the help of some local guides.
Kuelap is not free of mystery:
The old occupants of Kuelap abandoned their city before the Spaniards arrived, for reasons that remain unknown. Italian researcher Antonio Raimondi, the first one to study the area in 1860, found a skeleton of a two-meter-tall [6'5?] man and skulls with blonde hairs, which sparked a mystery that goes unsolved to this day.
In its day, Kuelap's residents used limestone to build the complex; its main architectural attractions include the Torreón (fortified tower), the Castillo (castle) and the Tintero (inkwell). The latter, as noted by historians, seems to have been used as an astronomical observatory and is considered a ritual structure because of its unique inverted cone shape.
More:
https://globalvoices.org/2016/02/05/kuelap-the-ancient-fortress-that-aims-to-become-the-second-biggest-tourist-destination-in-peru/
