MUNA - MUSEO NACIONAL DE ECUADOR

The National Museum of Ecuador was inaugurated in 1969 as the Archaeological Museum of the Central Bank of Ecuador. Today, located in the beautiful glass building of the Casa de la Cultura, it houses the largest collection of Ecuadorian art. From pre-Hispanic art to the present day, including colonial religious art, nothing is forgotten and everything is beautifully displayed. More than a thousand pieces of ceramics are presented, some dating back more than 14,000 years. From the astonishing chorreras whistle-bottles (around 1000 BC) to the tzanzas (reduced heads) of the Jivaros, not forgetting the skulls deformed for aesthetic reasons in the machalilla culture, you will discover here the essence of Ecuadorian culture through collections of a rare density. You will not miss the rooms devoted to the gold cult objects which turned so many heads and without which the Spaniards would probably have found little interest in this hostile continent at first sight. In the Sala de Oro, you can discover a superb and imposing mask representing the sun, made of solid gold, of inestimable value today. The visit can be made sequentially (in the order of time) or transversally (following a theme) thanks to an ingenious scenography that the staff at the reception can explain to you. Don't hesitate to come and visit this unmissable institution, the MUNA will not disappoint you!