Chan Chan's Adobe Citadels

Chan Chan spans 20 square kilometers of adobe near Trujillo, Peru.

The archaeological site sits five kilometers west of Trujillo, Peru.

Ten citadels made up the city. Only four have been recovered.

A typical citadel stands 40 feet tall with one entrance.

Tschudi complex walls reach twelve meters high for better defense.

Tschudi walls are five meters wide at the base, one meter top.

Carved fish point north and south along the Tschudi walls.

Pelicans and sea creatures decorate the adobe panels too. Pelicans everywhere.

A central pond likely hosted religious ceremonies and water worship.

UNESCO placed Chan Chan on the World Heritage list in 1986.

Conservation teams now build rain coverings over the deteriorating adobe buildings.