Templete Semisubterráneo


East of the main entrance to Kalasasaya, a stairway leads down into the Templete Semisubterráneo, an acoustic, red-sandstone pit structure measuring 26m by 28m, with a rectangular sunken courtyard and walls adorned with 175 crudely carved stone faces. In the 1960s archaeologists tried to rebuild these and used cement between the stones.


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1. Kalasasaya

0.06 MILES

North of the Akapana Pyramid is Kalasasaya, a partially reconstructed 130m-by-120m ritual-platform compound with walls constructed of huge blocks of red…

2. Puerta del Sol

0.1 MILES

At the far northwest corner of Kalasasaya is Tiwanaku’s best-known structure, the 10-ton Puerta del Sol. This megalithic gateway was carved from a single…

3. Akapana Pyramid

0.1 MILES

Climb the hill up to Tiwanaku’s most outstanding structure, the partially excavated Akapana pyramid, which was built on an existing geological formation…

4. Kantatayita

0.13 MILES

The heap of rubble at the eastern end of the Tiwanaku site is known as Kantatayita. Archaeologists are still trying to deduce some sort of meaningful plan…

5. Putuni

0.13 MILES

West of Kalasasaya is a 55m-by-60m rectangular area known as Putuni. It is surrounded by double walls and you can see the foundations of several tombs…

6. Megaphones

0.24 MILES

At the entrance to the Tiwanaku site are two stone blocks that can be used as megaphones. Entertain yourself for a minute or two with this interesting pre…

7. Puerta de la Luna

0.26 MILES

There’s a small gateway carved with zoomorphic designs near the western end of Tiwanaku, informally known as the Puerta de la Luna.

8. Museo Cerámico

0.32 MILES

Showcases a small collection of the ceramics found at the site, as well as a ceremonially deformed cranium and artifacts from the Chiripa and Wankarani…