sillustani Photos

Situated in Peru, on the shores of Umayo Lake, Sillustani is an old pre-Inca burial site. It is considered the best-preserved vestige of the Colla people, Aymara (who were conquered by the Inca in the 15th century).

Chullpas is the name of the tombs rising in the air like towers and they were build to emphasize the connection between life and death. They housed the remains of complete family groups and they only have one opening, on the East side, where the Sun is reborn every day. The inside of each tomb is shaped like a woman’s uterus, and the dead were set in a fetal position, in order to be reborn. A lizard is sometimes sculpted in the stone of the tombs, as the lizard is considered a symbol of life.