A doorway cut with great precision into the face of a rocky mountain in Peru may be one of the world’s greatest mysteries.
Measuring 23 feet tall and 22ft wide, Aramu Muru has puzzled archaeologists since its discovery in 1996 near Lake Titicaca in southern Peru.
The carving features a T-shaped niche – about 6.5ft tall and 3ft wide – resembling a shallow doorway to nowhere.
Flanking the niche are two vertical grooves, which some experts believe may have served decorative or even functional purposes.
Independent archaeologist Dr Mohammad Firoz Khan believes the structure was ‘created by ancient pre-Inca civilizations, while others speculate about extraterrestrial involvement.’
In a post on X, he said: ‘Native American legends portray the Gate of the Gods as a portal through which heroes met their gods, gaining immortality.
‘Visitors flock to the site, drawn by its rumored supernatural energy and claims of being a gateway to other dimensions.’
Mainstream archaeologists are still searching for clues about its age and purpose, but the leading theory is it was constructed by the Tiwanaku culture that existed around 200 BC to 1000 AD.
Aramu Muru is a mysterious rock-cut structure in Peru near Lake Titicaca. Archaeologists are still searching for clues about its purpose
The carving features a T-shaped niche at its center, about 6.5 feet tall and three feet wide, resembling a shallow doorway
‘Despite the lack of concrete evidence and no further excavations since its discovery, Aramu Muru remains a protected archaeological site, captivating tourists and spiritual seekers alike with its mysterious allure and historical significance,’ Dr Khan shared on X.
While the purpose of the doorway is unknown, archaeologists have suggested it was used in some type of ritual due to the fact a person can stand in the center carving.
The Tiwanaku people were known for their monumental stonework.
But no organic matter has been found at the site to properly date the carving.
And the carving style used at Aramu Muru used does not perfectly they style of the civilization that lived more than 2,500 years.
Dr Khan, who holds a PhD in history and specialization in archaeology, called Aramu Muru an ‘enigma’ that has only been talked about in legends.
The Aymara people, an indigenous group native to the Altiplano region in the Andes, lived in the region from 1150 to 1477 and reportedly knew of the site as a ‘Devil’s Doorway’ or a place of spirits long before it was found in the 90s.
This group believed the doorway just magically appeared, serving as as an entrance for shamans or chosen individuals to commune with spirits, seek visions, or undertake perilous journeys to the underworld or celestial planes.
The entire structure measures 23 feet tall and 22 feet wide. There are two vertical grooves that also run parallel on either side of the central niche
The massive doorway was carved into a natural red sandstone cliff, which is much softer than igneous rocks like granite, explaining why it could be worked with rudimentary tools
However, the Aymara often avoided Aramu Muru, believing unauthorized entry could trap one’s soul or anger the spirits, tying into broader Andean reverence for natural landmarks as sacred.
At the time Aramu Muru is believed to have been constructed, ancient people were still using simple tools made from stone, bone, and wood.
Yet the massive doorway was carved directly into a red sandstone cliff—a much softer material than tougher rocks like granite.
This, mainstream researchers say, helps explain how such a precise structure could have been shaped with primitive tools.
The mysterious structure was discovered by Jose Luis Delgado Mamani, a local tour guide who stumbled upon it while exploring the area in 1996.
He later claimed he was guided by dreams and family stories about a ‘doorway’ in the mountains.
But the legend of Aramu Muru goes much further back in time.
The popular myth about the mysterious doorway centers around an Inca priest named Aramu Muru, who fled Spanish conquistadors with a sacred golden disk that was kept in Koricancha temple in Cusco.
He supposedly activated the doorway with the disc and escaped to another dimension or the spirit world, disappearing forever.
There is recessed area in the middle of the niche, which the legend says is where the priest placed the disc.
Aramu Muru was a topic on the popular History Channel show ‘Ancient Aliens,’ which revealed shamans still visit the doorway and conduct prayers.
David Childress, one of the show’s stars, said: ‘Here is this giant doorway carved into solid rock and it appears to be a gateway but it doesn’t go anywhere it’s literally in the middle of nowhere.’
While the purpose of the doorway is unknown, archaeologists have suggested it was used in some type of ritual due to the fact a person can stand in the center carving
The popular story is about an Inca priest named Aramu Muru, who fled Spanish conquistadors with a sacred golden disk that was kept in Koricancha temple in Cusco. He supposedly activated the doorway with the disc and escaped to another dimension or the spirit world, disappearing forever
Ufologist Giorgio Tsoukalos, also a star of the show, said: ‘We’re all led to believe that it’s all coincidence, it’s all just fantasy. Rubbish! Something happened.
‘It is possible that this sun disc had some type of an extraterrestrial connection and that this was a technological device with which to travel.
Another theory is that Aramu Muru may have been an entrance to an underground temple or complex beneath it and was later sealed off.
Other Native American legends tell stories of ancient heroes going through that door to meet their gods.
Tourists who have flocked to Aramu Muru have said they felt ‘strong spiritual energy’ when walking inside the niche.
They have also claimed to feel vibrations, see visions, or experience energy shifts when pressing against the smaller carving.
However, no unusual electromagnetic fields, radiation, or geological anomalies have been measured to suggest anything beyond a carved rock.
