Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ayacucho
066 / POP 151,000 / ELEV 2750M
The name of this mesmerizing colonial city, originating from the Quechua
aya
(death, or
soul) and
cuchu
(outback), offers a telling insight into its past. Ayacucho's status as isol-
ated capital of a traditionally poor department provided the perfect breeding ground for
Professor Abimael Guzmán to nurture the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) Maoist re-
volutionary movement bent on overthrowing the government and causing thousands of
deaths in the region during the 1980s and '90s (for more on this history, see the boxed
text,
Click here
)
. Yet the city's historically poor links with the outside world have also
helped foster a fiercely proud, independent spirit evident in everything from the unique
festivals to the booming cultural self-sufficiency.
The shadow of Ayacucho's dark past has long been lifted but travelers are only just re-
discovering its treasures. Richly decorated churches dominate the vivid cityscape along-
side peach- and pastel-colored colonial buildings hung with wooden balconies. Among
numerous city festivities, Ayacucho boasts Peru's premier Semana Santa celebrations,
while in the surrounding mountains lie some of the country's most significant archaeolo-
gical attractions.
Perhaps Ayacucho's greatest allure is the authenticity with which it pulls off its charms.
Its development has been tasteful, its commercialization blissfully limited and, if you take
to the pedestrianized, cobbled city central streets early enough, it is easy to imagine your-
self transported back several centuries to its colonial heyday. That said, these days
designer-clad students and businesspeople are increasingly in evidence and behind many
colonial facades are plenty of sumptuous accommodations and suave restaurants. What is
clear is that Peru's most enticing Andean city after Cuzco is experiencing a resurgence −
one that is well worth witnessing.
History
Some of Peru's first signs of human habitation were allegedly discovered in the
Pikimachay caves, near Ayacucho (today there is nothing of interest to be seen there).
Five hundred years before the rise of the Incas, the Wari dominated the Peruvian high-
lands and established their capital 22km northeast of Ayacucho (see the boxed text,
Click
it Huamanga) and it grew rapidly after its founding in 1540 as the Spanish sought to de-
fend it against attack from Manco Inca. Ayacucho played a major part in the battles for