Sillustani is at the end of a paved road leading off of the main road that goes between Juliaca and Puno about 34 Km North of the City of Puno, on the shore of beautiful Umayo Lagoon. The junction is roughly half way between the two cities and then you drive another 15 minutes to the end of the road and the site itself. Sillustani is about 13,500 ft above sea level and is only one of many sites in the Puno area that hold mysterious burial towers, called chullpas. It is the most visited. Here we can see the enigmatic chullpas, which were built by the Collas, an Aymara speaking tribe that dominated the Titicaca region before the Incas. Here they would bury the remains of Colla nobility, accompanied by their riches.. Grave robbers have long since removed their contents, even using dynamite, although the towers are still well preserved and worth visiting. Some are over 36 feet tall. The engineering involved in their construction is far more complex than anything the Incas ever built. Two of the towers are unfinished: one with a ramp still in place to raise blocks; the other with cut stones ready to place on a very large dome. The chullpas Torre of Lagartija (of the lizard) and Serpiente (of the snake) are the most prominent. The lizard is a symbol of life since it has the power to regrow its tail! The towers were constructed in the general form of a womans uterus. The Collas believed it to be Mother Earth which created life. Therefore the dead were mummified in a fetal position and placed into the tower in the same position as when they entered the world. The doors of the tombs faced East since that is the direction from which the Sun is born. Also at this ruins we found a young man who comes to this area to play native musical instruments. He says he does it to earn a little extra money and for relaxation from his regular work. We have included an unedited video of his music. Also in the video you will hear the very high winds that appear daily in the late afternoon at Sillustani. We visited this ruins on April 21, 2006 at about 4:00 PM.
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| Sillustani With Strong Wind Blowing Waves Upon Lake Umayo |
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| Sillustani With Chullpas Towers ("Torre of Lagartija", Tallest Tower Near Center) |
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| Chullpas Torre of Lagartija (of the lizard)(Largest Sillustani Tower) |
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| Sillustani Entrance From Parking Area | Sillustani Entrance From The Torre of Lagartija |
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| Sillustani Terraces And Umayo Lagoon Shore | Potato Field And Harvest |
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| Farmer Coming To Inspect His Potato Harvest | Farmer Inspecting Potato Harvest |
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| Up The Trail To Sillustani Chullpas Towers | Further Up The Trail To Sillustani Chullpas Towers |
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| Steps To The Top Of Sillustani | Steps To The Top Of Sillustani An Easy Hike |
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| Ritual Area Near The Steps To The Top Of Sillustani | Ritual Area Near The Steps To The Top Of Sillustani |
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| Up The Trail Looking Left To The Torre Of Lagartija | Close Up Of The Torre Of Lagartija From The Trail |
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| Up The Trail Looking Left The Torre Of Lagartija | Close Up Of The Torre Of Lagartija From The Trail |
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| Further Up The Trail The Torre Of Lagartija | Close Up We See Damage From Grave Robbers |
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| We Finially Reach The Tower Of The Lizard | Close Up Of The Torre of Lagartija "Lizard" |
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| East Facing Access Door | East Facing Access Door |
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| West Side Torre Of Lagartija | Construction Stones: Note The Removal Of Stone To Lighten It's Weight |
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| More Chullpas Towers SW Of The Torre Of Lagartija | More Chullpas Towers SW Of The Torre Of Lagartija |
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| Other Chullpas Towers | Other Chullpas Towers |
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| Unfinished Stones | Unfinished Stones |
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| George And Our Guide Maria Julia Calapuga Ccari Owner Of Mundo Andino Peru Tours We Highly Recommend Her! | George And Audrey |
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| Peruvian Musician At Sillustani | Peruvian Musician At Sillustani |
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| Peruvian Mother And Daughter | Peruvian Mother, Daughter And Vicuna At Sillustani |
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| Peruvian Musician At Sillustani |
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| Click Here To See And Hear The Video Of The Peruvian Musician At Sillustani!8.73 MB File |


