Chan Chan, The World's Largest Adobe City

Chan Chan is an archaeological site and the largest Pre-Columbian city in South America, located in the Moche Valley, 5 kilometres from Trujillo, Peru. Its area covers 20 square kilometres, with a dense urban centre of 6 km². Chan Chan was constructed under the flag of the Chimor kingdom of the Chimú. The Chimu Kingdom, with Chan Chan as its powerful capital, reached its apogee in the 15th century, not long before falling to the Incas.

Chan Chan is the world largest adobe city and Chan means sun-sun. Chan Chan was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1986

Chan-Chan Trujillo, Perú.

A late intermediate period civilisation that grew out of the remnants of the Moche civilisation. Chan Chan is the world's largest adobe city, and the name Chan means 'sun-sun'. Chan Chan was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, when it was also added to the list of World Heritage Sites in danger due to the torrential rains that destroyed the citadel, earthquakes, or the rise of the first layer of groundwater beneath the area.

The central zone is formed by a set of 10 walled enclosures (called "citadels") and other solitary pyramids. This core set covers an area of approximately 6 square kilometres. The rest is made up of a multitude of small, poorly maintained structures, sidewalks, canals, walls, and cemeteries. An estimated 20,000 to 30,000 inhabitants (Kent Day) lived in Chan Chan, while the total population of the Chimú territory was around 500,000, according to John Rowe. According to Middendorf (1894), 100,000 people lived in Chan Chan. At the time of abandonment, the population would have been 5,000 to 10,000 inhabitants (Kent Day).

In its spaces, houses, walls, and pyramidal temples, the city was a hub of activity. Its enormous walls are profusely decorated with geometric figures, as well as stylised zoomorphic and mythological beings. These hydraulic works are still visible and are the wonder of modern engineering; cemeteries and other facilities were perhaps markets, workshops, and barracks. Chan Chan consisted of 10 large, generally rectangular units. Each unit was surrounded by high walls taller than 9 metres, enclosing emparillado streets, large and small houses, large pyramids, and food and water tanks within them. Today, it is a vast labyrinth of massive walls, many of them carved with beauty, where you can still appreciate its well-planned streets that intersect at right angles and sumptuous systems bringing water from considerable distances, such as the Summit that united the Chicama and Moche.

First Photo credit: Alexandre Militão