Ancient city in Peru reopens to tourists
Thursday, 06 Jul 2006 13:21
The Sacred City of Caral in Peru
A five thousand year old city in Peru, part of one of the world's first civilisations, has been reopened to tourists.
The Sacred City of Caral has recently undergone extensive restoration to again allow visitors to wander the city's pyramids, sunken circular plazas, temples and altars.
The city is the oldest in the Americas and the third oldest in the world. It even predates Peru's most famous tourist attraction, the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.
Caral, which is located in the Supe Valley just two hours north of Lima, was discovered as recently as 1994.
It is one of the first known examples of a hierarchical system of living, with clear divisions between living quarters for the elite and the rest of the city's inhabitants.
The organisation of the city allowed its people to excel in astronomy, medicine, engineering, trade, music, textiles and basket weaving.
The Supe society built 18 settlements along the Supe valley, but Caral's state of preservation marks it out from the rest.
For more information on Caral, go to:
www.caralperu.gob.pe
For those looking to take a holiday in Peru, British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Lima via Miami for £1,160 return (
www.britishairways.com.
While there you can take a tour to the Sacred City of Caral. For more information go to:
www.enjoyperu.com
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