San Antonio del Tequendama is a municipality and town of Colombia in the

Tequendama Province Tequendama Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia. Etymology The name ''Tequendama'' means in the Chibcha language of the Muisca; "he who precipitates downward". Subdivision Tequendama Province comprise ...

part of the department of Cundinamarca. The municipality is located along the ''Serranía de Subía'' in the Tena Valley and borders Tena and Bojacá in the north, Bojacá and

Soacha , image_map = Colombia - Cundinamarca - Soacha.svg , map_caption = Location of Soacha in Cundinamarca , pushpin_map = Colombia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_nam ...

in the east, La Mesa and

El Colegio El Colegio () is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. Municipalities of Cundinamarca Department {{Cundinamarca-geo-stub ...

in the west and in the south Soacha and Granada.Official website San Antonio del Tequendama
/ref>

Etymology

The name ''Tequendama'' means in the Muysccubun, the language of the Muisca: "he who precipitated downward".

History

This municipality was formed on the site of Cubsió, a place of reunion of the

Muisca The Muisca (also called Chibcha) are an indigenous people and culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Colombia, that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish conquest. The people spoke Muysccubun, a language of the Chibchan langu ...

originally from Bojacá and Serrezuela. Cubsió was already populated by indigenous peoples from the Herrera Period with the oldest evidence dated at 1865 years BP (2nd century AD) of a site a few meters from the current course of the

Bogotá River The Bogotá River is a major river of the Cundinamarca department of Colombia. A right tributary of the Magdalena River, the Bogotá River crosses the region from the northeast to the southwest and passing along the western limits of Bogotá. The ...

. Around 1470 the terrains of San Antonio de Tequendama were ruled by the '' cacique'' of

Fusagasugá Fusagasugá (; ) or Fusa is a town and municipality in the department of Cundinamarca, in central Colombia. It is located in the warm valley between the rivers Cuja and Panches, a central region of the Andes Mountains in South America. The mun ...

, who fought with the Panche against

Saguamanchica Saguamanchica (died Chocontá, 1490) was the second ruler (''zipa'') of Muyquytá, as of 1470. His ''zaque'' enemy ruling over the northern area of the Muisca territory was Michuá. Alternative spellings of his name are Sacuan Machica, Saguan ...

in the

Battle of Pasca The Battle of Pasca was fought between the southern Muisca Confederation, led by their zipa (ruler), Saguamanchica, and an alliance between the Panche and the Sutagao, led by the ''Cacique'' of Fusagasugá. The battle took place 1470 in the ...

. In 1539, conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada organised an expedition down the Bogotá River where he sent his soldier Juan de Céspedes. The modern town was founded by Críspulo Corredor in 1857. This municipality has changed names multiples times, San Antonio, San Antonio de Tena, and its actual name San Antonio del Tequendama.

Tourism

The Chicaque Natural Park is an ecotouristic area within San Antonio del Tequendama.

Panorama

References

External links

*
Laughing rock art on Rupestreweb
{{Municipalities cundinamarca department Municipalities of Cundinamarca Department Populated places established in 1857 1857 establishments in the Republic of New Granada Muisca Confederation

Tequendama Tequendama is a preceramic and ceramic archaeological site located southeast of Soacha, Cundinamarca, Colombia, a couple of kilometers east of Tequendama Falls. It consists of multiple evidences of late Pleistocene to middle Holocene populat ...