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Located
at an altitude of 3,000 meters, in the cloud forest of the
department of Amazonas, Kuelap is proof of the engineering
skills of the Chachapoya, a tribe who inhabited the area from
1000-1400 AD.
The towering ramparts that protect the citadel of Kuelap are
studded with three guardposts, a tower and three narrow entrances
which could be defended by a single warrior. The walls stand
8 meters high and completely surround the complex. The complex
of Kuelap must have been impregnable to invading warriors
from neighboring kingdoms, although finally the Inca soldiers
managed to conquer the Chachapoya.
The citadel of Kuelap is made of stone, but unlike Inca architecture,
featured fantastic and animal figures, and changed the traditional
pattern of geometric designs. The common buildings at the
Fortress of Kuelap were circular, and some of these have been
reconstructed so that the few visitors who come here (due
to the difficult access) can see how the people lived here,
amidst orchids and bromeliads.
Ancient Peruvians were highly successful in integrating with
nature. The Chachapoya, whose secrets still lie buried in
the dense jungle, created harmonic structures in a privileged
site, a timeless land where the jungle-clad hills are wreathed
by mist: The Fortress and Citadel of Kuelap. |
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