Pukara is a quiet pueblo of a few thousand residents. The Plaza de Armas contains a beautiful colonial church containing a large mural of the Jatun Ñak'aq, El Gran Degollador (or Decapitator), with a typical Pucará ceramic bull. The Museo Lítico de Pukara is located just off the Plaza de Armas, on the road that leads to the archaeological site. Small restaurants, stores, and an artesanía shop are located just off of the Plaza. Pukara is famous for it's ceramic production, a tradition dating back at least 2500 years.
The most famous of it's ceramic figurines are the Pucará bulls or toritos; which can be found found throughout the altiplano on the roofs of houses to bring luck and fertility. Even though it is said that Pukara is where the tradition of torito production began; the real source of the the torito production is in the community of Checa Pupuja in the district of Santiago de Pupuja. |
