Ingapirca
Encyclopedia
Cañar Province
Cañar is a province in Ecuador. The capital is Azogues. At the time of census 2005 the province had a population of 221,045. It contains the 16th-century ruins of Ingapirca, the best-known Inca settlement in Ecuador and a product of their conquest of the indigenous Cañari.- Cantons :The province...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
and the name of an Incan
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
archeological site just outside the town. The town was named after the Inca palace and temple site.
These are the largest known Inca ruins in Ecuador. The most significant building is the temple of the sun, an elliptically shaped building constructed around a large rock. The building is constructed in the Incan way without mortar. The stones were carefully chiseled and fashioned to fit together perfectly. The temple of the sun was positioned so that on the solstice
Solstice
A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the Sun's apparent position in the sky, as viewed from Earth, reaches its northernmost or southernmost extremes...
s, at exactly the right time of day, sunlight would fall through the center of the doorway of the small chamber at the top of the temple. Most of this chamber has fallen down.
The Incas were not the first inhabitants of Ingapirca. It had long been settled by the Cañari
Canari
Canari is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.-Population:-References:*...
indigenous people, who called it Hatun Cañar. After the King of the Incas died in Peru, the oldest son took over the kingdom. The younger brother decided to find a place and kingdom of his own. He took his family and followers to the coast of Peru and followed the coastline north to Ecuador. He found his way into the Andes to Hatun Cañar. After much fighting and killing, the Inca dominated the Cañari, but they decided to settle their differences and live together peacefully. They renamed the city and kept most of their individual customs separate. Although the Inca were more numerous, they did not demand that the Cañari give up their autonomy. Eventually they merged into one group.
On his trip from Macchu Picchu to Ingapirca, the younger son developed a taste for fresh fish from the coastal towns. He liked it so much that he had relay runners bring him fresh fish on a daily basis from the coast. At Incapirca they developed a complex underground aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
system to provide water to the entire compound.
The people had numerous ritual celebrations. Gallons of a local fermented drink were used in these festivals. As sun and moon worshippers, they tried to be as close to their gods as possible. The weather changes there are usually within minutes of each other, calm and sunny one minute and within fifteen minutes rainy, windy and cold. This climate volatility is typical year round. The people felt strongly that this was the place where the gods had led them, regardless of the climate.
To visit Ingapirca, travelers can take a day tour up from the city of Cuenca
Cuenca, Ecuador
Cuenca is the capital of the Azuay Province. It is located in the highlands of Ecuador at about 2500 m above sea level...
or spend the night in the towns of El Tambo
El Tambo
El Tambo may refer to:* El Tambo, Cauca, Colombia* El Tambo, Nariño, Colombia* El Tambo Canton, Ecuador* El Tambo, Chile, city in the O'Higgins Region* El Tambo District, Huancayo province, Peru* Tambo District, La Mar, Peru...
or Cañar
Cañar
Cañar may refer to:* Cañar Province, Ecuador* Cáñar, Spain...
.