The Sun Gate is perhaps one of the most famous monuments of the Tiwanaku archaeological complex. They are located near Lake Titicaca in the city of La Paz. There used to be a seaport here and among its remains are perfectly preserved ruins of giant stone structures, among which the Sun Gate stands out. They are 3 metres high and 4 metres wide. They were created from solid pieces of stone with relief images. In the upper part of the gate, above the opening, a completely mythical creature was placed, which combines the features of a man, a snake, a condor and a cat. On the sides of the creature are placed 48 "human-condors". Their faces are turned towards the centre. The entire surface of the Gate is covered with bizarre hieroglyphics. In 1949, researchers deciphered these inscriptions, which turned out to be a very accurate astronomical calendar. The amazing thing about this calendar is that a year consists of 290 days. And that's ten months of 24 days each and two months of 25 days each. Scientists assume that the calendar of an unearthly civilisation is written on the Sun Gate. Not far from the Sun Gate is the same Moon Gate. They do not differ much, only single details in inscriptions and images. Earlier, the monuments were covered with gold leaf, as evidenced by the preserved gold nails on the gate.
