From the site of a former settlement of the Inca and Tiwanaku cultures on Lake Titicaca, priests worshiped the sun god. They burn amulets and llama fetuses at dawn for good luck, and the smoke rises to pray to Viracocha who created the world from the sunny island. The mysterious god ordered humans to go out and reproduce. He then disappeared into the West, never to be seen again.
According to renowned archaeologist Federico Kauffmann Doig, the statue enshrined at the Sun Gate in Tiahuanaco represents Viracocha, an Andean Creator of the world, surrounded by mythical beings with vulture-like heads. The massive monoliths of Tiwanaku seem to want to tell us about the mysteries that this mysterious Titicaca culture still hides. Some writers have even described them as gods from other planets, with elaborate theories. What is certain, however, is that these stone carvings never cease to amaze even the most respected archaeologists and experts.
The Tiwanaku culture originated in the Bolivian plateau around the fourth century AD, just a few kilometers from the shores of Lake Titicaca. From there it spread south, where it merged with the Wari people, heirs of another tradition, the Paracas-Nazca culture. Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America. It is 3,820 meters above sea level, covers an area of 9,000 square kilometers, is about 230 kilometers long, nearly 100 kilometers wide, and has a maximum depth of 457 meters.
The Tiwanaku culture has gone through different phases: Early Phase, Classical Age and Post-Tiawanaku Culture. This is a society deeply influenced by its religious beliefs. Residents of the Sunny Isles still remember this religion in the liturgy of ceremonies. Before doing anything, they invoke their gods, especially Pachamama, the goddess of the earth.
The ruins of Tiahuanaco take the form of cairns overlooking snow-capped peaks believed to be the home of the gods. The ancient mystical observatory is still used by shamans for prayer and meditation rituals.
