ANDINA. Peru's Ministry of Culture has formally declared the archaeological complexes of Chan Chan in La Libertad, Kuelap in Amazonas and the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu in Cusco as 'sister citadels'.
The official recognition was granted by Supreme Decree No. 004-2011-MC, published in the legal notices section of the daily newspaper El Peruano.
According to the document, the three famous citadels share common aspects and have significant cultural value, which in the cases of Chan Chan and Machu Picchu has earned them Unesco world heritage status.
"They were the main settlements of the ancient Chimu, Chachapoyas and Inca cultures and are examples of architectural, aesthetic and scientific achievements of pre-Hispanic Peru," it adds.
Another aspect shared by the three sites is the harmonious adaptation to the natural environment as Kuelap and Machu Picchu combined with the Amazon and Andean jungle, while Chan Chan is specially adapted to the coastal desert of Peru.
The Peruvian government said that Chan Chan, Kuelap, Machu Picchu are symbols of regional identity, and the latter succeeded in becoming one of the most representative expressions of national identity.
Chan Chan is located approximately 5km west of Trujillo in northern Peru
