The City Of Oruro, Located At An Altitude Of 3,700 Meters In The Mountains Of Western Bolivia Stock Photo

The city of Oruro, located at an altitude of 3,700 meters in the mountains of western Bolivia and once a pre-Columbian ceremonial place, was an important mining area in the 19th and 20th centuries. Displaced by the Spaniards in 1606, it was still a sacred place for the Uru people who often traveled long distances to perform their rituals, especially during the main Ito festival. The Spaniards forbade these ceremonies in the 17th century, but continued under the guise of a Christian liturgy: the Andean gods were hidden behind Christian icons, and the Andean deities became saints. The Ito festival has been transformed into a Christian ritual celebrated in Candlemas February 2. The traditional lama lama or devil in honor of the god Uru Tiw became the main dance at the Carnival in Oruro.