The archaeological site of Tiwanaku is the impressive vestige of an ancient city that has left its mark on the history and culture in the Andean lands.
The spiritual and political centre of Tiwanaku culture has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its value as a testimony to a universal civilization.
The archaeological site of Tiwanaku is located 72 kilometres from La Paz, in the municipality of Tiwanaku. In the Aymara language tiwanaku means stone in the middle, because the sacred citadel was considered to be at the centre of the universe, which would justify its importance.
The Tiwanaku civilization was a theocratic society ruled by sacred laws thought to be of cosmic origin. Its society was highly class-based, which is reflected in the layout of the city: at the highest level, in fact, were the priests and rulers, who resided in the central area; the artisans, lower down in the social ladder, lived in the outer peripheral areas.
The development of the Tiwanaku civilization spans a long period between 1580 BCE, when the first traces of this culture appeared, and the final years of the 12th century BCE, which coincides with its final decline and the division of the empire into several Aymara kingdoms. The empire was huge and included large parts of modern-day Peru, Chile, Argentina and Bolivia.
The Tiwanaku culture is responsible for the creation of an impressive cultural heritage that can be admired during the visit to the archaeological area: the impressive architecture of the buildings, an unimaginable amount of sculptures and stones worked in relief, ceramics of great artistic beauty. Everywhere you may see artifacts decorated with Andean symbols of great spiritual value.
Visiting Tiwanaku is a must for any traveller to Bolivia. To walk through its ruins is to experience the emotions of the people who once filled these streets and plazas with life. Join us to explore Tiwanaku's history and culture: contact us for more information.
Additional Info
It is recommended to wear warm or light clothing depending on the weather conditions and to bring a camera.
Suggested periods
- Spring
- Summer
- Weekend
- Winter
Where
Manco Kapac Avenue, Tiahuanaco municipality, La Paz department.
Transportation
By public transport
From La Paz, at the terminal located in front of the General Cemetery on Beltazar Aquiza Street, or from the interprovincial terminal of El Alto, buses leave for Tiahuanaco. The trip lasts approximately 2 hours
By private transport
From La Paz take National Route 1 towards Tihuanaco; You enter the municipality through General Gámez avenue until you take Manco Kapac avenue, which leads to the entrance to the archaeological site and its museums.
Visiting Rules
For your health and the health of local population, remember to comply with all biosecurity protocols and codes of conduct before and during your stay: wear a mask and carry hand sanitizer, plus a first aid kit, with sunscreen and medications for altitude sickness.
During your visit remember to protect the cultural and natural heritage of the region.
Some of the most famous and universally recognized monuments include:
Sun Gate
The Gateway of the Sun – Puerta del Sol – is one of the symbolic monuments of the archaeological site, made of a single huge block of stone weighing about 10 tons, with an opening similar to a doorway in the middle. On the lintel there are 48 winged and kneeling figures, carved in bas-relief, arranged around a main figure identified as the "God of the Sun" or "Staff God", one of the most important characters of pre-Hispanic religiosity.
The reliefs have been interpreted as a calendar of the agricultural cycles. It is thought that the gateway was part of a larger building, such as the Akapana pyramid or the Kalasasaya temple.
Semi-Subterranean Temple
This is the most ancient temple of the Tiwanaku culture, in the shape of an open quadrilateral bounded by four retaining walls. It is accessed via seven steps leading down into what today looks like a square. Into the stone block walls are embedded 175 carved heads with different human and animal features, which are thought to represent the different ethnic groups of the empire, the faces of defeated enemies or portraits of famous people. The Kontiki monolith is still visible in the centre, while the Bennett monolith, which once stood here, is now preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Tiwanaku.
Akapana Pyramid
A pyramid shaped temple consisting of 7 stepped platforms, now partly crumbled, which reach a height of 18 metres. It was built in the early centuries of the common era and was certainly one of the most important buildings in this holy city; its access was flanked by a representation of the Chachapuma, a man with the head of a puma, now preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Tiwanaku. In the upper part there are remains of several constructions, including a submerged patio in the shape of an Andean cross or chacana.
Kalasasaya Temple
Kalasasaya is an Aymara word meaning “standing stones”. It is a ceremonial enclosure built by the Tiwanaku in around 500 CE. It has a rectangular ground plan and is built with stone blocks and sandstone columns. At the top is the so-called Ponce monolith, discovered in 1957, which holds a sacred vase, like the ones used by priests. Other reliefs representing animal figures are also visible. Scholars think that this structure could have been an astronomical temple and that the sandstone columns were markers of the movement of the sun.