Sillustani in Perú is a funerary complex in which you can see a series of impressive tombs belonging to the Kolla culture (1200-1450) that developed in the northern part of the peninsula of Lake Umayo, in the town known as Hatuncolla, 33 km from the city Puno.
The tombs, called chullpas, have the shape of inverted cone trunks, they are constructions that in fewer numbers are also found in various other places in the highlands, such as Acora or Ilave. In S., the English presenter and footballer, David Icke experienced “an awakening of conscience”.
Etymology
The name Sillustani comes from the words sillus (nail) and llustani (slip). The literal translation would then be nail slippage, perhaps referring to the fact that the union between the external blocks of the chullpas does not even allow the passage of a nail.
Location
The Sillustani Burial Towers are located 34 km away from the city of Puno (35 minutes by road) and at an altitude of 3,840 meters above sea level.
Description
On a high plateau at 3,900 meters above sea level and about 30 kilometers north of the town of Puno, is the site of Sillustani in Perú, one of the largest necropolises in the world. Surrounded by a landscape of striking beauty that seems to be summed up in the serene waters of the Umayo lagoon.
The Sillustani archaeological complex stands out for its gigantic Burial Towers (species of stone towers), built by Collas and Incas, to bury their dead. Some half fell, others standing like chess towers resisting the passage of time.
The serene and desolate beauty of the puna surrounds these funeral masses. Its architects, true masters in the art of erecting stone colossi, chose a spectacular scenery for their greatest work: a peak facing the Umayo lagoon.
The Sillustani Tombs seem to have taken the high Andean plateau by storm. They are almost 90 and are spread over an area of 150 hectares. Many of them exceed 12 meters in height and have a greater diameter at the top than at the base. A challenge to the laws of gravity and balance. A detail that makes them unique on the continent.
Strange mausoleums of indecipherable age, although it is presumed that they were built in the 10th century. Sillustani Tombs of noble collas, eternal home of the Children of the Sun, who, upon dominating these lands, would add architectural characteristics similar to those of the Temple of the Sun or Coricancha, in Cusco, and the fortress of Ollantaytambo, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Some time later, with the arrival of the Spaniards, the men from the highlands and the Andes left more than one “chullpa” half built, like the one found in the Ayawasi or Pucullo Cuadrado area, which today is part of the Sillustani Archaeological Complex, name in the Aymara language, which translated into Castilian means “nail shape”.
One of the most famous attractions of the Sillustani Burial Towers is the ´Lagart Burial Tower´, a funerary tower that represents the highest Chullpa in the complex. Built in Inca times and raised with square stones that fit perfectly.
It was destroyed at the beginning of the 19th century by huaqueros who were looking for the treasures of the place. Another beautiful place in Sillustani is the Umayo lagoon, an incredible mirror of water that reflects the blue sky and white clouds of Puno. This lagoon houses an island that is a reserve for the protection of local vicuñas.
How to get to Sillustani in Perú?
The Sillustani Tombs are located just 30 km from Puno and 40 km from Juliaca. The most recommended way to get to the place is to take a tour to Sillustani from Puno.
Contact Us:
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