Chan Chan

Trujillo, La Libertad, Peru

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Chan Chan, located near Trujillo in the La Libertad region of Peru, is the largest pre-Columbian adobe city in the Americas and was the capital of the Chimú kingdom from around 850 AD until the Inca conquest in the 15th century.

Covering about 20 square kilometers, the city was highly organized with ten large walled citadels that housed the aristocracy, surrounded by homes of artisans and farmers. Known for its intricate adobe architecture decorated with reliefs depicting animals and marine life, Chan Chan was an advanced urban center with elaborate irrigation and water management systems to survive in the arid coastal environment.

After the Inca defeated the Chimú around 1470, the city declined and later suffered from Spanish looting. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an important archaeological and cultural site symbolizing the sophistication and wealth of the Chimú civilization.