Tumbas Reales de Sipán: New museum temple for the "Men of Sipan" in Lambayeque
Twelve kilometres northwest from Chiclayo is the quiet town of Lambayeque. Its narrow streets are lined by colonial and republican houses, many retaining their distinctive wooden balconies and wrought-iron grille-work over the windows. For some fine examples, head along Calle 8 de Octubre: at No 410 is the opulent Casona Iturregui Aguilarte and, at No 328, Casona Cuneo is the only decorated façade in the town. Opposite is Casona Descalzi, perhaps the best preserved of all Lambayeque’s colonial houses. Calle 2 de Mayo is also a good source of colonial and republican architecture, especially Casa de la Logia o Montjoy, whose 64-m balcony is said to be the longest in the colonial Americas.
Also of interest is the 16th-century Complejo Religioso Monumental de San Pedro and the baroque church of the same name that stands on the Plaza de Armas 27 de Diciembre. The French neo-baroque Palacio Municipal is also on the plaza.
The reason most people come to visit is to see the two museums: the longer- established and highly recommended Brüning Archaeological Museum, located in an impressive modern building, and the new Museo de las Tumbas Reales de Sipán. The Brüning Archaeological Museum (daily 0900-1700, US$3.60, a guided tour costs an extra US$3.75, most exhibits labelled in English) specializes in Mochica, Lambayeque/Sicán and Chimú cultures, and has a fine collection of Lambayeque gold. A board outside shows Peruvian cultures in relation to each other.
Three blocks east, the Museo de las Tumbas Reales de Sipán (T074-283978, Tue-Sat 0900-1700, US$9, a guide is advisable as no explanations are in English; bags and cameras must be left at the entrance) is shaped like a pyramid. The magnificent treasure from the tomb of ‘The Old Lord of Sipán’, found at Sipán in 1987, and a replica of the Lord of Sipán’s tomb are displayed here . A ramp from the main entrance takes visitors to the third floor, from where you descend, mirroring the sequence of the archaeologists’ discoveries. This museum is frequently recommended and is judged to be one of the best in the world.
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