---
node: sa_tiwanaku
type: event
slug: tiwanaku
title: "Tiwanaku"
lead: "Tiwanaku was a great highland civilization centered near Lake Titicaca in modern Bolivia, at its height from about AD 500 to 1000. Its ceremonial capital stood among the highest cities of the ancient world."
published: 2026-07-13
updated: 2026-07-13
image_file: tiwanaku.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bolivia_-_Gate_of_the_Sun_detail_-_Tiwanaku_or_Tiahuanaco_01.jpg"
image_author: "Dennis G. Jarvis"
image_license: "CC BY-SA 2.0"
---

## What happened

Set on the cold, high Altiplano, Tiwanaku built monumental stone architecture, including the Gateway of the Sun and the Akapana pyramid. It supported large populations through raised-field farming and llama herding.

## Background

Tiwanaku spread its religion, art, and influence across the southern Andes through colonies and exchange rather than outright conquest. It was one of the two great Middle Horizon powers alongside Wari.

## Consequences

The civilization declined by around AD 1000, perhaps amid prolonged drought. Its ruins remained a sacred place, and the later Inca claimed a connection to them.