The Incas called Cuzco "the navel
of the world" and the lake Titikaka "the womb
of Mankind." Lakeside dwellers of today regard
themselves as the "oldest people in the world"
. The lake covers approximately 9000 km and like many
things in Bolivia it takes another highest championship;
it is the world's highest navigable lake (12,500 feet)
3,820 meters, its depth was recently measured at 457
Mt. Lake Titikaka has long been known to be not only
the largest but also the most sacred in the world.
Near it, many cultures and civilizations have risen.
The Tiawanaku culture began its raise around the time
of Christ and lasted over a millennium extending far
into Puno and Northern Chile. Tiawanaku ceremonial sites
were constructed along the shores of Lake Titikaka,
indicating that the lake was considered sacred at least
2,000 years ago.
The Incas believed they originated from the Lake Titikaka
and that their bearded, white leader/deity, Viracocha,
began his acts of creation on this island. Clearly,
Lake Titikaka played a dominant role in Andean beliefs
for over two millennia. The best known of Titikaka islands
are Taquile and Uros , the floating islands made of
bulrushes. The islands of the Sun and of the Moon are
on the Bolivian side. Bulrushes (totora) grow in the
low waters of the lake and they have always been of
multiple use for the natives .
The people from the Titikaka region weave this plant
very well to make rafts which seem to be made of woven
glob fiber; they cut swiftly through the waters of the
great lake. Birds nest among the bulrushes , providing
eggs for human consumption. The matted plants serve
as a foundation to built bulrush houses on. The most
important geographical feature of Titikaka is the Copacabana
peninsula, which contains remains of cultures dating
back to long before the Spanish influence in South America.
Visiting the Titikaka Lake ?
We offer the best Tours around !
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A typical islander Aymara house
Mountain Gods are fundamental
belief among Andean people
native shipbuilder
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