A total of 184,717 domestic and foreign tourists visited the Lambayeque-based Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum in 2016, hitting a record high in attendance during its 14 years in operation.
The display of Lord of Sipan's magnificent pieces —discovered 29 years ago— makes it one of the most visited museums at national level.
Domestic visitors reached 169,825, accounting for 90% of the total. Most of them came from Lima, Cusco, La Libertad, Arequipa, Cajamarca, Amazonas, Ancash, Junin, Piura, Puno, among other cities.
Foreigners totaled 14,892, making up 10% of all visits. They were mostly from Italy, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, United States, Brazil, as well as countries from Europa, Asia and South America.
According to director Walter Alva, the site remains one of the most popular museums in the Andean nation.
"The 184,717 visits put it on top of the most visited museums in 2016 list, with numbers showing steady growth, and increasing by more than 18% since 2015 (156,605 visits)," he pointed out.
Tourists enjoyed the jewelry, emblems, and gold, silver, copper ornaments of the Lord of Sipan, a Mochica culture monarch that ruled 1,700 years ago.
They also visited the museum's lab, where metal and ceramic ornaments are restored; Mochica small villages, where artisans showcase their native cotton-made work; among other attractions like the carob tree forest and Mochica crops.
This exhibition place displays the splendid Mochica culture, as well as its history, customs, principal activity, ceramics, typical garments, and impressive jewelry made of gold, silver, and golden copper.
Not for nothing is the Royal Tombs of Sipan deemed one of the top 10 modern museums on earth.
Moreover, it is Peru's truly indisputable cultural reference point and a tourist magnet in Lambayeque region and northern coast of Peru.
(END) SDC/MAO/RMB/MVB