During the

Inca The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...

Empire Warachikuy (

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...

) was a ceremony where young men, after undergoing various tests of skill and valor, could receive the official status of an adult man. Today Warachikuy is still an important festival which represents the

Andean The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S l ...

cultural heritage. The celebrations are held annually at the archaeological site of Saksaywaman near Cusco on the third Sunday of September. They include rites, warlike dances, battles like '' ch'iyar jaqhi'' (

Aymara Aymara may refer to: Languages and people * Aymaran languages, the second most widespread Andean language ** Aymara language, the main language within that family ** Central Aymara, the other surviving branch of the Aymara(n) family, which today ...

''chiyara'' black, ''jaqhi'' cliff, "black cliff", hispanicized ''chiaraje'') and competitions.mincetur.gob.pe
"Fiesta del Warachikuy" (in Spanish), retrieved on February 27, 2014

References

{{reflist Cusco Region Festivals in Peru September observances Sunday observances Holidays and observances by scheduling (nth weekday of the month) Inca society

See also

References