12:45 | Chiclayo (Lambayeque region), Dec. 17.
The Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum, located in Peru's northern Lambayeque region, expects to attract a record crowd of 200,000 —domestic and foreign— visitors in 2018, Museum Director Walter Alva affirmed.
The
Lord of Sipan discoverer said November figures showed that over 180,000 visited the site until such month, noting the annual average is 160,000.
"We look forward to luring a total of 200,000 tourists this year, which would be a record since the museum opened," he affirmed.
Alva explained that growing visitor numbers are due to active promotion by the museographic complex and a campaign offering free admission to museums on the first Sunday of each month.
"This is important because even though we won't see economic benefits, museum visits are a priority in Peru (…)," he noted.
Exhibition in Panama
According to the researcher, an itinerant exhibit of Lord of Sipan Tomb replicas is slated to take place in Panama next February in order to promote Peru's northern tourist attractions.
"We seek to promote and capture the interest (of Panamanian travelers), as well as note the availability of direct flights between Chiclayo and Panama City," he added.
The museum —which houses the tomb of the Moche ruler and other elite ancient people— has
gained renowned prestige in its 16 years of existence and has become an undeniable icon of regional identity.
Lord of Sipan
The Lord of Sipan —dubbed the King Tutankhamun of the Americas— is compared to the Egyptian mummies studied by prominent Egyptologists.
The discovery marked archaeology's history in Peru and the Americas. This was the first time the magnificence and majesty of the only governor and warrior of ancient Peru found to date were revealed.
His tomb was uncovered in 1987 and has been exhibited at Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum for more than a decade.
(END) SDC/JOT/RMB/MVB
Published: 12/17/2018