As you might already know, Cusco is a region of Peru that is filled with traditions and cultural expressions. The story of the Bridge of Q’eswachaka is a clear example of this, for this reason Atoq Explorer decided to share a bit of information with our readers about this event that takes place every year in June in the area of Cusco and that dates back to the Inca times.
The bridge of Q’Eswachaka is known as the last Inca bridge, it has an extension of 28 meters long and a width of 1.2 meters, it is used to unite different communities across the Apurímac river, is considered part of the Qhapaq Ñan (an ancient system of roads that united the Inca empire and had an extension of more than 30,000kms and went from Ecuador and Colombia all the way down to Chile and Argentina) this bridge is more than 500 years old.
The celebrations to rebuilt the bridge last 4 days and gather 4 communities from the area (Perccaro, Huinchiri, Ccollana & Qqewe). The bridge is made entirely of ichu, a kind of grass that grows in the highlands of the Andes. During the celebrations a tribute is offered to the Apu (sacred mountain) Quinsallallawi in an ancient ceremony. The ichu is also collected and the braiding of the ropes begins, this job is made only by women.
