What you see in the picture is called a chullapa. A chullapa is essentially an ancient burial site. Chullapas were meticulously built by the Inca and pre-Inca cultures, such as the Colla people, over a thousand years ago. They were built as tombs for elite individuals or families.
These structures have been found throughout the Altiplano region of Peru and Bolivia. The chullapa in the picture is from the archaeological site of Cutimbo, near Puno, Peru. Cutimbo is an important archaeological site for its impressive towers.
The chullapas, however, were built in a specific geometric shape. The towers, which were mainly cylindrical or rectangular, were often made of precisely cut blocks of stone, and have been found to be up to twelve meters high.
The chullapas at Cutimbo were built between 1000 and 1500 AD. Archaeologists believe that mummies and valuables were kept inside, somewhat like the pyramids of ancient Egypt.
Most of the kilns, including Kutimbo, have doors that open to the east, which archaeologists believe is a symbol of a particular religious belief. This rule, in line with the sunrise, was a symbol of rebirth, they explained. There are also several other mysterious angles in the pattern of the oldest Inca kilns.
