We've now come to Chan Chan, which is situated between Trujillo and Huanchaco, about three miles from each. Its name isn't Chinese, although it sounds like the name for a panda. It means sun-sun and is the largest mud-brick city in the Americas. It was the religious and administrative capital of the Chimu kingdom until the Incas conquered them and it's been a World Heritage site since 1986. I first visited it in 1991.
The archaeological site covers an area of 7.7 square miles on both sides of the road between Trujillo and Huanchaco, and shows evidence of a number of distinct types of dwellings, from low income right up to the ruling classes, where the Chimu-Capac lords lived in palaces.
Here's a carving on one of the walls, which to me makes me think of those found on Egyptian pyramids although half a world away.
The citadel was built between the 12th and 15th centuries AD and consisted of nine walled structures up to 1,300ft long. They included flat-topped pyramids, plazas, houses, storage areas, factories and a labrynth of streets. Water was provided by amazing network of irrigation canals as well as superbly built underground aqueducts and ditches, so water could be carried across several miles of desert from the hills inland.
In addition to the expert engineering of irrigation canals and architecture to overcome the desert, the people expressed their arts through ceramics and metallurgy, including exquisitely delicate filigree, with the result that they became known as the finest "jewelsmiths" of ancient Peru.
This area is marvellous for its archaeological gems and seaside towns, so we're now going up the coast.
Here's a map of the area:
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