THE INCA RUINS OF INGAPIRCA

Situated a couple of hours by bus north of Cuenca, the Inca ruins at Ingapirca (meaning Wall of the Inca) are the largest in Ecuador. The site was sacred to the Canari indigenous people who lived there for centuries before being conquered by the Incas. Rather gratifyingly, the descendents of the Canari people now operate the site, thus reclaiming their land.


The settlement was built late in the 15th century as the Inca empire expanded from Peru into Ecuador. Ingapirca was probably a stopping off point on the roay Inca route from Cuzco, Peru to Quito, Ecuador and features an eliptical platform known as the Temple of the Sun used for religious and ceremonial purposes as well as a possible solar observatory.


Unlike Machu Pichu in Peru, which was hidden from the world until its discovery, Ingapirca was exposed and therefore well known, resulting in the removal over centuries of many of the dressed stones that formed the walls of this settlement. But there are still some beautiful examples of this finely crafted stonework, as well as examples of trapezoidal archways and niches that are hallmarks of Inca construction.