Wilcahuaín

Major Wari culture site 7 km northeast of Huaraz, Ancash, Peru, at 3,400m elevation. The centerpiece is a three-story stone mausoleum (10.7 x 15.6m) containing 19 interior chambers connected by stairs and ramps, with a sophisticated ventilation system reaching 9m in height. Originally an administrative center of the Recuay culture, it transitioned to the Wari civilization during the Middle Horizon period (c. 700-900 AD). The name means 'Sacred House' in Quechua. Nearby Ichic Willkahuain features 15 chullpas (burial towers) dated to c. 700 CE.