<\/p>\n
A vandal defaced Chan Chan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Peru, with obscene graffiti over the weekend, the Ministry of Culture said Monday.<\/p>\n
In a video that went viral, a young man wearing a backpack can be seen spray-painting a giant penis on a wall of this fortified complex that is more than 600 years old.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n“This act constitutes a grave disrespect toward our history and cultural heritage, as well as a violation of the regulations that protect archaeological heritage sites,” the ministry said.<\/p>\n
The vandal faces up to six years in prison and has not been identified.<\/p>\n
Chan Chan was the site of the largest earthen architectural city in pre-Columbian America, according to the United Nations.<\/p>\n
It once held temples, dwellings and storehouses, often decorated with abstract motifs.<\/p>\n
Chan Chan reached its peak in the 15th century as a vast city that was home to about 30,000 people, and was 20 kilometers (12 miles) square.<\/p>\n
It is located about 550 kilometers north of Lima near the coastal city of Trujillo, and has been a UNESCO site since 1986.<\/p>\n
Along with the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu and the Sacred City of Caral-Supe, Chan Chan is one of the most beloved archaeological sites in Peru.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)<\/i><\/p>\n
\n \n <\/div>\n