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Chan Chan Archaeological Zone

The Chimu Kingdom, with Chan Chan as its capital, reached its apogee in the 15th century, not long before falling to the Incas. The planning of this huge city, the largest in pre-Columbian America, reflects a strict political and social strategy, marked by the city's division into nine 'citadels' or 'palaces' forming autonomous units.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/366

The Chan Chan Archaeological Zone covers the former capital of the Chimú Empire, the largest city of pre-Columbian America and a masterpiece of town planning. The remains consist of nine rectangular ensembles, the “Palaces”. A palace was a personal domain of a Chimú chieftain and an independent unit with its own temples, dwellings, reservoirs and gardens. There were also four industrial sectors, for woodwork, weaving, and the work of gold and silver. It is estimated that 30,000-60,000 people lived here in a zone of ca. 20 square km’s. 

The Chimu Empire stretched along the northern coast from Lima to Ecuador. The Chimu replaced the Moche here around 1200. It reached its zenith in the 15th century, just before it was weakend by the Inca and the Spanish. It was a fertile area at the time due to the use of irrigation via a vast network of canals diverting water from the Moche river.

The site was first excavated in the 1960's. Large parts are still uncovered, and suffer from erosion on the vulnerable adobe. The walls are decorated with raised friezes, displaying abstract motifs and anthropomorgical and zoomorphical subjects. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/chanchan.html