- Qhapaq Ñan
The Qhapaq Ñan (English: "Great Inca Road", or "Main Andean Road") constituted the principal north-south highway of the
Inca Empire traveling 6000 km along the spine of theAndes . It allowed the Inca to control his Empire and to send troops as needed from the capital,Cusco .History of the Great Inca Road
When the
conquistadores landed on the Isthmus of Panama at the beginning of the 16th century, their ears were filled with stories of a fabulous empire with princes covered in gold. Although the existence of the mythical world ofEl Dorado was never proved, the Europeans, through their own explorations, discovered the immense Inca Empire and the remains of the civilizations that preceded it. At its height, the Inca Empire covered a vast region stretching from the south of Columbia passing through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and northwest Argentina to reach Santiago de Chile. The vertebrae to a circulatory system of roads that covers more than 40,000 km in a geographical region savagely beautiful but unforgiving to link both the Pacific Coast and theAmazon Basin , the Qhapaq Ñan is a mythical route to rival that of the Romans in the west or that of theSilk Road of central Asia.This royal road joined the cities of Pasto in Colombia, Quito and Tomabamba in Ecuador, Cajamarca and Cusco in Peru to pass through Bolivia and northwest Argentina to reach Santiago de Chile in the south. It allowed the Inca to control his Empire and to send troops as needed from the capital, Cusco. Along this partially paved route were warehouses, relay stations, llama corrals, living quarters and military posts spaced intermittently of varying sizes and grandeur.This route gave the Empire the most efficient means of communication through a system of chasquis, or couriers, who were placed regularly along the road. Messages could be sent at a speed of 250 km per day…Situated between 800 to 5000 meters above sea level (2625 to 16404 feet), this monumental road, which could reach 20 meters (65 feet) in width, connected populated areas, administrative centers, agricultural and mining zones as well as ceremonial centers and sacred spaces.The Qhapaq Ñan unified this immense and heterogeneous empire through a well-organized political system of power. Today, it has the potential to strengthen the bond between the different peoples of the Andes, who share a longstanding common culture.Patrimony in Peril
Today, only 25% percent of this route is still visible, the rest having been destroyed by the construction of modern infrastructure. Is not only studded with archeological marvels, including those of Ingapirca in Ecuador, Cuzco in Peru, Tiwanaku in Bolivia and Quilmes in Argentina, it also includes hundreds of major and minor sites. It passes through a plethora of eco-regions, 4 of global importance, and includes such endangered fauna as the vicuña, spectacled Andean bear and the condor. But more than that, it is a road that connects a multitude of Andean villages whose customs and traditions are still practiced and which holds the potential to revitalize and strengthen a common identity.
Different organizations such as
UNESCO and IUCN have been working on initiatives to protect this ancient route, in collaboration with the governments and communities of the 6 countries through which the Great Inca Road passes.In developing the Great Inca Road, (with one idea being a proposed system of parks situated along it), other opportunities can be identified that can allow for the sustainable development of the thousands of communities that live along this route, while protecting the cultural and environmental heritage of the region.
The objective of UNESCO is to assist the countries that share this common heritage in a pioneering project: the preparation of a unique candidature to inscribe the Qhapaq Ñan as a
World Heritage Site .Useful Links
* [http://www.qhapaq-nan.com/indexen.html Site Qhapaq Ñan, the Great Inca Road - 6000 km on foot across the Andes]
* [http://whc.unesco.org/en/activities/65 Unesco project on the Qhapaq Ñan, Main Andean Road]
* [http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/20060407.FIG000000017_le_qhapaq_nan_au_patrimoine_mondial.html Figaro Magazine]
* [http://cms.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/sudamerica/sur_proyectos/index.cfm?uNewsID=1101 IUCN Sur project on the Qhapaq Ñan]
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