Reason to be selected

The Qhapaq Ñan, in 2014, has obtained the World Heritage emblem thanks to the effort of more than 10 years by the countries involved

Criteria

In order for UNESCO to validate any natural property as a World Heritage Site, it is necessary to go through several criteria to see if the property actually reflects the evolution of the World Heritage concept itself. These criteria are classified into 10 but the Qhapaq Ñan was inscribed on the World Heritage List under criteria II, III, IV and VI, being accepted in the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

Criteria II

The Qhapaq Ñan exhibits an important process of exchange of goods, communication and cultural traditions. This criteria is based on the idea of integration achieved by the road itself, filling the previous Andean ancestral knowledge with the communities, forming a gigantic political system that implemented social and economic values.

Criteria III

The Qhapaq Ñan is the living testimony of the Inca civilization. Thanks to its incredible organization system called Tawantinsuyu, we can see that it shows the main principles and values of the Inca culture in the distribution of sectors.

Criteria IV

The Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road system, is an outstanding example of architecture and engineering because, despite the geographical difficulties presented by the rural road, the Inca empire managed to create a functional route without interruptions which opened the way to the communication between people and trade system.

Criteria VI

The Qhapaq Ñan played a fundamental role in the organization of space and society, as its vast geographic area throughout the Andes was used as a means of sharing cultural values with intangible meaning. Today, this cultural significance is still active, as it has given several peoples in the area their own identity, giving way to living traditions and essential beliefs of the communities involved.