Cultural

The words “quitsa to” mean “centre of the world” in the language of the Tsáchila people, and one of the goals of the monument is to link Ecuador’s modern identity as an equatorial nation to the ancient cultures of the region. The on-site Museo Cultura Solar explains in fascinating detail these links to the past, including good coverage of La Condamine’s geodesic mission to Ecuador in 1743.

The Quitsato Sundial is the first and only Monument of the Middle of the world, which is exactly on the Equatorial Line or Zero Parallel.

It is a large sundial of 52 meters in diameter, made with a large stone mosaic that indicate the different lines of the solstices and equinoxes, as well as the hours of the day, these are marked by means of the projection of the shadow of a Large 10 meter high pole that is exactly in the center of this large circular platform.

The monument works as well as a large calendar as well as a sundial, thus becoming the best place in the world to understand the apparent movements of the Sun, how the seasons work, the history of the calendar, the agricultural calendar and different astronomical geographical aspects and educational that make this site transcend in the minds of the visitors.