World Monuments Fund Congratulates Huaca de la Luna on its Thirty-Year Anniversary

Built between the first and eighth centuries, Huaca de la Luna, or Temple of the Moon, was once part of the ancient Moche capital of Peru. Huacas, great religious complexes such as Huaca de la Luna, were formed by successive entombments of older structures filled in and covered with mud bricks, or adobe blocks. Over the course of centuries, these buildings deteriorated, losing parts of their structural and decorative elements.

This year, the Archaeological Project of Huaca de la Luna is celebrating 30 years of successful work at the site. Since its beginnings three decades ago, the project has contributed enormously to sustainable tourism and cultural development in Peru’s north coast and led to the creation of the Ruta Moche. The efforts of Project Director, Dr. Ricardo Morales, and the late Dr. Santiago have been instrumental in the conservation of Huaca de la Luna and its recognition as one of Peru's most significant cultural sites.

From 2002 to 2015, WMF provided financial support for Huaca de la Luna's comprehensive conservation and macro-regional sustainable tourism development project through the Robert W. Wilson Challenge to Conserve Our Heritage and the Selz Foundation, in partnership with the Backus Foundation, the National University of Trujillo, and the Patronato Huacas del Valle de Moche. Huaca de la Luna has been recognized with the Reina Sofía Prize for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage (2005) and the Shanghai International Archaeological Forum (2011).