Gate of the Sun, Monolithic stone gateway in Tiwanaku, Bolivia
The Gate of the Sun is a monolithic gateway carved from a single block of andesite stone, standing three meters tall and four meters wide. Its surface carries reliefs with geometric patterns and anthropomorphic figures extending across the entire width of the lintel.
The Tiwanaku civilization built the gateway between the 9th and 12th centuries in their ceremonial center near Lake Titicaca. Later cultures moved the stone from its original location before archaeologists documented it in the 19th century.
The central figure shows a deity holding staffs in both hands, flanked by carved figures with human and bird-headed features. These depictions were part of a belief system that connected sky and earth.
The complex sits at an altitude above 3,800 meters, which may cause mild altitude sickness for some travelers. A morning visit offers the best light for viewing the reliefs.
The carvings form a system of twelve sections with 24 units each, which some researchers interpret as a calendar. Each unit carries its own pattern that never repeats across the entire frieze.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
