Aramu Muru

You are now here: Peru & the Andes / Aramu Muru

The mysterious gate-like structure of Aramu Muru

Not many people have heard about Aramu Muru, one of the World's most unique creations, an wall-like stone construction in eastern Peru.

It resembles a gate, but its sheer size makes stuns researchers. Nobody has any idea about who built it and what its purpose was.

The huge monumental structure is not an Inca creation, but a much older one, built by a pre-Inca civilization.

Let's take a look at what Aramu Muru is all about!

Characteristics, myths and theories about the construction

Aramu Muru is 7 meters tall and 7 meters wide.  

The hole on the gate-like wall represents the key whole. A person can be the key, but the door only opens to some people and at certain times.

The name of the gate comes from an Inca priests name, Aramu Muru. He belonged to the Seven Rays Monastery, who was travelling on foot from Tiahuanaco to the Inca capital of Cuzco running from the Spaniards (supposedly). Aramu Muru was carrying a Golden Disc of the Sun, a sacred golden object, representing the Sun. He got lost in the mountains around Lake Titicaca, never to be seen again. Perhaps he was killed by the Spaniards, but hopefully he got away. We will never know.

The legend of Aramu Muru says that he passed through the gate into another World. This might make some of us think of what we saw in the movie "Stargate" or "Back to the Future".

The local population tells stories about God Meru, who is believed to be located beyond the gate, which is the entrance to the Temple of Illumination. It is said that the gate becomes semi-transparent before the Sun sets.

Another saying is about visions. It is believed that if one touches the frame of the gate with both hands, flat, then visions occur: one can see fire, hear melodies and see tunnels running under a mountain.

Some people affirm that they've actually experienced strange phenomena, some even say they've been beyond the great door, which opened to them.

Visiting Aramu Muru

Very few people ever wonder into this part of Peru. Attracted by Machu Picchu, the Nazca lines and other more popular wonders, it remains unknown to most travelers.

The area lacks tourist infrastructure (bad roads, no hotels, few tour guides ever take people here).

If you want to get there, you'll have to travel to Puno, near Lake Titicaca, in Southeastern Peru. From there either by a hired car/bus or rental vehicle, it's easy to reach Juli, then from there to the ruins.

The site is roughly 35 km away from Puno, town accessible by airplane too. Juli is on the southern part of the Titicaca Lake.