- Address: Carretera campiña de moche, Moche, Peru
- Working hours: 9.00 - 16.00
- Cost of visiting: 10 PEN, entrance to the museum - 3 PEN
Near the town of Trujillo , in the northern part of Peru , there are two ancient pyramids from the times of the ancient culture of Mochica - the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon. In the Temple of the Sun, archaeological excavations are currently under way and one can only look at it from afar, but the Temple of the Moon in Peru can be considered in detail. Here, as in the Temple of the Sun, archaeological and restoration work is conducted, but the visit is, nevertheless, not prohibited.
general information
The Temple of the Moon in Peru was built in the 1st century AD, but despite such an impressive age, the walls and frescoes were well preserved here, in the writing of which five main colors were used (black, red, white, blue and mustard), reliefs from image of the deity Ai-Apaek, temple square and courtyard, built more than 1,5 thousand years ago. The yard area is 10 thousand square meters, it served as a place of observation for the residents of the city preparing for the sacrifice of prisoners, and the sacrifice itself was performed in the circle of representatives of the city's high society.
What to see?
If we talk about the architecture of the structure, the Temple of the Moon is a rectangular base with a width of 87 meters and a height of 21 meters, on the upper tier of the building are several rooms that are decorated with figures of people, and on the outside of the temple you can see the deity of the mountains, whose belt adorns the heads of animals , as well as huge crayfish with daggers, people holding hands and priests - they all bear a certain meaning: the cult of water, the fertility of the earth and sacrifice. The peculiarity of the structure is that the Temple of the Moon in Peru is a pyramid, inside which is placed another inverted pyramid.
Near the Temple of the Moon there is a museum in which you can not only get acquainted with archaeological finds from excavation sites, but also see a film with a model of the city and pyramids, the alleged history of the construction of these temples.
How to get there?
It's the most convenient way to get from Trujillo to the Temple of the Moon by taxi, but if you decide to save on travel, then use the public transport services: a shuttle taxi to the place called Campana de Moche, the approximate cost of the trip is 1.5 salt. The entrance to the museum will cost you 3 salt, and the price for visiting pyramids for foreigners is 10 salts.
Interesting to know
On August 6, 2014, the Central Bank of Peru issued coins dedicated to the country's sights. Among the images minted on coins, one can also see the image of the Temple of the Moon in Peru.
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