---
lang: en
type: TouristAttraction
record_kind: entity-profile
title: Chan Chan
description: The vast earthen capital city of the ancient Chimú Kingdom, standing as the largest mud-brick metropolis in pre-Columbian America.
llms_summary: "Chan Chan. (Trujillo, La Libertad, Peru). TouristAttraction. Annual Visitors 150k people. Buffer Zone 2,953 ha. Category Type Cultural. Conservation Status Active Monitoring. Epoch Origin Intermediate Horizon Era (9th C. CE). Latitude -8.11 °. Longitude -79.07 °. Primary Material Sundried Adobe Mudbrick. Property Area 1,414 ha. UNESCO ID 366. Year Inscribed 1986. Best for adobe conservation engineers, pre-Columbian urbanists, and Andean history researchers.  The vast earthen capital city of the ancient Chimú Kingdom, standing as the largest mud-brick metropolis in pre-Columbian America.  canonical profile on Chrisyst Datasets"
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slug: chan-chan
record_kind: entity-profile
content_sha256: 336799d8ed1882a4077d5ed80579141619de86dd57531bdb5771eee01d2ddb8d
indexed_at: "2026-07-16T13:15:13.715Z"
license: citation-free
entities:
  -
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    slug: chan-chan
    name: Chan Chan
    type: TouristAttraction
    profile_url: "https://datasets.chrisyst.com/chan-chan/index.md"
    same_as:
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---
# Chan Chan

The vast earthen capital city of the ancient Chimú Kingdom, standing as the largest mud-brick metropolis in pre-Columbian America.

## Record

- **Title**: [Chan Chan](https://datasets.chrisyst.com/chan-chan/index.md)
- **Geo target**: Trujillo, La Libertad, Peru
- **Website**: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/366
- **Address**: Avenida Mansiche, Huanchaco, La Libertad, 13000, Peru
- **Coordinates**: -8.1078, -79.0719

### Summary

The vast earthen capital city of the ancient Chimú Kingdom, standing as the largest mud-brick metropolis in pre-Columbian America.

### Description

## Masterpiece of Earthen Architecture

Chan Chan, the sprawling capital of the Chimor kingdom, represents the largest pre-Columbian city in South America and the world's most extensive adobe city. Flourishing between approximately 900 AD and 1470 AD, its urban core spans about 6 square kilometers and is characterized by nine monumental, rectangular walled compounds known as *ciudadelas*. Each *ciudadela* served as a self-contained administrative, residential, and funerary complex for a Chimú ruler, featuring intricate courtyards, temples, storehouses, and burial platforms, all meticulously constructed from sun-dried mud bricks and adorned with elaborate friezes depicting marine life and geometric motifs.

The city's sophisticated urban planning is evident in its hierarchical layout and advanced hydraulic engineering. A complex network of canals and aqueducts, some extending for many kilometers, diverted water from the Moche River to sustain agricultural fields and supply the city's inhabitants, demonstrating remarkable mastery over arid coastal environments. Despite its grandeur, Chan Chan was conquered by the Inca Empire around 1470 AD, leading to its gradual decline. Today, it stands as a poignant testament to the Chimú civilization's architectural prowess and complex societal structure, offering invaluable insights into pre-Columbian Andean urbanism and cultural heritage.

### Attributes

- **Annual Visitors**: 150k people _(quality 75)_
- **Buffer Zone**: 2,953 ha _(quality 80)_
- **Category Type**: Cultural
- **Conservation Status**: Active Monitoring
- **Epoch Origin**: Intermediate Horizon Era (9th C. CE)
- **Latitude**: -8.11 ° _(quality 50)_
- **Longitude**: -79.07 ° _(quality 50)_
- **Primary Material**: Sundried Adobe Mudbrick
- **Property Area**: 1,414 ha _(quality 85)_
- **UNESCO ID**: 366
- **Year Inscribed**: 1986 _(quality 92)_