Chan Chan Archaeological Zone

Nine walled palace compounds, each an autonomous unit, structure Chan Chan — the adobe capital from which the Chimu Kingdom ruled at its 15th-century height, shortly before the Incas swallowed it. This was the largest city of pre-Columbian America, its earthen friezes rippling with fish and seabirds. UNESCO inscribed the archaeological zone in 1986; fragile mud walls make guided visits to the restored sectors the way to see it.