Gate of the Sun

The Gate of the Sun, also known as the Gateway of the Sun, is a monolithic gateway at the site of Tiahuanaco, built by the Tiwanaku culture, an Andean civilization of Bolivia that thrived around Lake Titicaca in the Andes of western South America around AD 500–950 [1]. Tiwanaku is located near Lake Titicaca at about 12,549.2 ft above sea level near La Paz [1]. The Gate of the Sun is approximately 9.8 ft tall and 13 ft wide, and was carved from a single piece of stone [1]. Its weight is estimated to be 10 tons [1]. When rediscovered by European explorers in the mid-19th century, the megalith was lying horizontally and had a large crack through it [1]. It presently stands in the location where it was found, although it is believed that this is not its original site, which remains uncertain [1]. Although there have been various modern interpretations of the inscriptions found on the object, the carvings that decorate the gate are believed to possess astronomical or astrological significance and may have served a calendrical purpose [1].