Inka Road Today

The Inka built roads everywhere to unite the villages of the world.
The road is a rope that binds communities and allows us to live as one family.

—Panfilo Sulca (Quechua), Sarhua, Ayacucho, Peru, 2010

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    Alpacas, Paratia District, Peru, 2014. Photo by Doug McMains, NMAI.


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The Road to Life

  • QUECHUA
    LANGUAGE
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    Select highlighted words to hear them spoken in Quechua.


    The Inka spoke the Quechua language, which is still spoken today in the Andes.

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The Qhapaq Ñan survives as a reminder of an amazing past that still links communities. The power of this cultural continuity has helped indigenous communities endure hard times and oppression. Today, a revival of Andean traditions and the love of land and family strengthens the ties of indigenous Andeans to their Inka ancestors.

road to life video

Qhapaq Ñan, World Heritage Site

In 2014, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) declared the Qhapaq Ñan a World Heritage Site. This declaration salutes the people of the Andes and the role of the Inka in world history.