La Paz Cultural Atracctions

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Cultural Atracctions in La Paz

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Tiwanaku
Copacabana

Tiwanaku

At only 80 kilometers from the city of La Paz, towards the Southwest there is the Titikaka Lake. At about an hour from there, we can find the ruins of Tiwanaku, which is the most important archaeological site in the country. It has a total extension of 39 kilometers in length and 18 Kilometers in width (600 Squared kilometers), At this place there are truly amazing ruins, which bear testimony of a once triumphant and well advanced culture.

Among the cultures that date back to the period prior to the Incas, Tiwanaku was the only one that was capable to expand beyond the Andes. The ruins of Tiwanaku are part of what used to be a large city, and it is separated into tow major areas, both of these areas are at about one kilometer from each other. Some of the main attractions of this part include the ruins of: Akapana, Kalasasaya, Putuni and the Semi-Sub terrain Temple.

The buildings of Tiwanaku were constructed while following the order of the cardinal orientation, the “Puerta del Sol” ((Door of the Sun) and the pyramids of Akapana and Pumapunku have been placed in a mathematical position of amazing precision and for religious or ritualistic purposes. At this place, visitors can also visit a museum that exhibits objects found throughout the area and it also presents historical references of the importance of this culture.

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Copacabana – Peregrination Sanctuary

Copacabana is the bay that sits on the shore of the Titicaca Lake; it is located at 158 kilometers from La Paz. In the past it used to be considered a “mystic region”, a ceremonial center of various cultures that existed there before the time of the colony and these days it is considered a religious-peregrination center often visited by devote believers of the “Virgen Morena”, the Holy Virgin of Copacabana. The parishioners come to this place to receive the blessings of the Virgin Mary and to do the traditional “Ch´alla” (Aymara word, which refers to a ritual practice in Bolivia, in which property is “blessed” with the belief that this blessing would protect people’s possessions).

Close to the town of Copacabana there are several Pre-Hispanic attractions such as “La Horca” (The Gallows), “El Baño” (Tha Bath) and “El Asiento del Inca” (The Inca’s Seat), all of which are part of an impressive and historical legacy that could be found scattered throughout the area, including in the islands of the Sun and the Moon.

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