Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is located in the South Pacific Ocean, which is the territory of Chile. And it is popular not only for being formed by the eruptions of three volcanoes, but also for the huge mysterious idols discovered here, which are better known as moai.
According to legend, the leader of the Hotu Matu'a clan wandered for a long time in search of a new home and at the end of his life he found Easter Island. After his death, the island was divided between his six sons, and later - between his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Locals believe that the sacred power of the ancestors of this clan is contained in the statues.
The island has about 9 hundred statues. Mysterious stone idols were carved from the rocks of Rapa Nui. The largest moai is 21 meters high and weighs over 15 tons.
Despite the external resemblance, each idol was created as a separate unique creation, and some are decorated on the reverse side with an original pattern that has survived to this day.
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It can be assumed that the statues were erected in honor of gods or deceased leaders, but their exact purpose is not entirely clear. If moai personified the observers or guardians of the island, then why are all the statues turned with their backs to the ocean? Perhaps the silent stone idols served for occult purposes.
In 1935, the Chilean government granted Easter Island the official status of a national park and historical monument. Despite the considerable remoteness of the island from the continent, in 1953 the republic's naval forces took it under their protection.