First published: 05/01/19.

Juha Sjoeblom 3.5

Qhapaq Ñan

Qhapaq Ñan (Inscribed)

Qhapaq Ñan by Juha Sjoeblom

Site visited April 2018. I visited five inscribed sites of the Peruvian section of the Andean road network.

This WHS all about roads and archaeological sites associated with them. The Qhapaq Ñan road system is one of the most complex road infrastructures in the world. What makes it unique is its extreme geographical setting.

For some reason, this kind of sites are very intriguing for me. Whether it is Silk Roads, Grand Canal, Stećci or Struve, there is something like ’collect all the pieces together’ feeling. At first these inscriptions seem hard to grasp. But when you take a closer look at the single sites there are too many interesting places and you want to include as many sites as possible to your itinerary. But in the end there is time only for very limited amount of sites.

Reading the nomination document it takes some time to really understand which sites are actually inscribed and which are not even though they are mentioned in the document. To a non-devoted traveller there are some choices that could seem a bit confusing and inconsistent. For example impressive fortresses in Ollantaytambo are not inscribed even though Ollantaytambo is mentioned as a starting point to one of the road segments. Sacsayhuamán citadel on the outskirts of Cusco is not even mentioned. Llaqtapata archaeological site which is well known among hikers is not inscribed but other site with the same name that is only a minor site. The wall of Portada Rumiqolqa and road that passes through it is inscribed but not the better known archaeological site of Pikillaqta which is just beside it.

I visited the following five sites:

Plaza Inca Hanan Hauk’aypata was the origin of the four Qhapaq Ñan roads which linked Cusco to all the other parts of Inca empire. Obviously a normal tourist can’t avoid being inside the core zone of this and Cusco WHS. But can you see something authentic resembling ancient roads is a totally different thing. The inscribed area extends about a kilometer to each four directions from Hauk’aypata Square. I walked along all four roads almost from the beginning to the end but it was hard to notice anything but typical Spanish colonial streets. The only remnants from the Inca times was some colonial buildings that have been built on the foundations of old Inca structures. Hauk’aypata Square is maybe the most important single site in this WHS so it is of great symbolic importance even though it is not really a sight in itself.

Apart from the Hauk’aypata Square and four stretches of road there is also other archeological site included in the nominated property, Limaqpampa Square, which used to be gathering place for ceremonial purposes. This is a hectic little square with some modern statues and lots of cars. There are archaeological excavations under a glass but I don’t know if it is possible to visit those.

Portada Rumiqolqa is considered an ancient entrance door to Cusco from the south. It has been created for road controlling functions. Basically what you see is some 100 metres of thick wall with two openings and a small path that passes through the openings. On top of the wall is an aqueduct that supplied the Pikillaqta citadel with water. The wall itself is a beautiful and imposing work of masonry and it has been nicely restored. But it is hard to spend more than half an hour at the site.

Rumiqolqa along with the archaeological sites of Pikillaqta and Tipón (both not WHS) can be combined to a convenient half day trip from Cusco.

Archaeological Sanctuary of Pachacamac: I guess everything worth saying has been said already on the previous reviews (both Qhapaq Ñan and TWHS) so there is no need to repeat those. All I can say is that Pachacamac is a big and sandy archaeological site with a nice museum but after all there is not that much to see.

Archaeological Site of Huaycán de Cieneguilla is about a one and half hour’s drive from Pachacamac. The route goes from seaside through Lurín River valley. Half of the route is in a really bad condition so it takes more time than one would imagine looking from a map.

Entrance ticket costs four soles. On the site is a small exhibition building. Apparently, it is possible to visit the site only accompanied by a guard. She wanted to get a Spanish-speaking guide for me but I thought it would be useless given my Spanish skills. So she agreed to walk with me around the site.

Huaycán de Cieneguilla was an important Inca administrative centre and place of residence of the Inca elite. The site is full of tightly built enclosures, passages and other structures some of which are on quite a good condition. On the structures are also some decorations and trapezoidal-shaped doorways. On the upper slope of the hill is a viewing platform from where it is a nice overall view of the whole site and a surrounding river valley.

Archaeological Site of Molle is a small area which is located on the hillside just the opposite side of the river valley, under a kilometre from Huaycán de Cieneguilla. There is not much to see, nor are there any facilities for visitors or even road signs. In the lower part of the hill there are some rectangular enclosures, courtyards and walls. Also some underground structures can be seen. In the middle Qhapaq Ñan passes the area. The upper part is gently sloping dusty hill with just few crumbling structures.

Pachacamac, Cieneguilla and Molle can be done as a day trip from Lima. The road from Pachacamac to Cieneguilla and back to Lima via another road forms a loop. Just be careful with huge traffic jams of Lima especially at the ring road near the airport.

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Well, did I see THE road itself? That is a tricky question. The four congested streets in Cusco were not really what I expected. However, I saw a small path that passes through Portada Rumiqolqa. Qhapaq Ñan passes also through the site of Molle. That is a dusty path that was hardly noticeable. Although this WHS is about roads, my experience is that the associated archaeological sites are the ones that really stand out. Among a large number of nominated sites there are really modest sites, like Molle, and really great sites, like Choquequirao, that could even be WHS on its own. To sum it up, this is very justified inscription but the sites are very varied. The road and the associated archaeological sites are interesting additions to any trip to Andean region.

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