Ingapirca, Inca archaeological site in Cañar Province, Ecuador

Ingapirca is an archaeological site in Cañar Province at 3,123 meters in elevation, featuring stone structures including the Temple of the Sun, storage chambers, and an observatory. The complex displays construction techniques developed in this region hundreds of years ago.

The Cañari settled here at a place they called Hatun Cañar. Inca Túpac Yupanqui met resistance when his expansion reached southern Ecuador, then married a Cañari princess and improved the Cañari city of Guapondelig, renamed Tumebamba. The astronomical observatory was built under Huayna Cápac, and the Inca renamed the city Ingapirca while both peoples kept their own customs.

The name Ingapirca comes from Kichwa Inka Pirka, "Inca wall", used for the monument since at least the 1700s; the complex was earlier called Hatun Cañar, "the great place of the Cañari". Cañari and Inca worshippers of the sun and moon held festivals here, preparing gallons of a local fermented drink for the rituals.

An archaeological museum at the site displays artifacts, ceramics, and textiles, which visitors can see while exploring the ruins via marked pathways. The high elevation can be demanding for visitors, so pacing yourself and bringing plenty of water are wise precautions.

An underground aqueduct system distributed water throughout the site using advanced hydraulic techniques that were uncommon at the time. This hidden infrastructure reveals how thoughtfully the ancient builders planned this location.