Cojitambo facts for kids
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Cojitambo is an amazing place in Ecuador. It has ancient ruins from the Inca people and even older groups. It's also a very popular spot for rock climbing. Cojitambo is a small village located west of Azogues, which is the capital of Cañar province.
The name Cojitambo comes from the Quechua language. It means "Inn of Gold." This is interesting because no gold has ever been found at the site!
Where is Cojitambo?
The ancient site of Cojitambo is very high up, about 3,020 meters (9,908 feet) above sea level. The city of Azogues is only about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) northeast. Another big city, Cuenca, is about 18 kilometers (11 miles) northeast.
The eastern side of Cojitambo is a huge rock face. It rises about 150 meters (492 feet) straight up from the village. These cliffs stretch for about 500 meters (1,640 feet) from north to south. This dome-shaped rock is the most popular place in Ecuador for rock climbing! There are over 100 different climbing paths here. Some are easy, while others are very difficult.
The ancient ruins of Cojitambo are on a flat area at the top of these cliffs. The land is not as steep on the north and west sides. A road even goes up to the top where the ruins are.
A Look Back in Time: Cojitambo's History
Archaeologists have found proof that people lived at Cojitambo a very long time ago, starting around 500 BCE. It was likely a special place for the Cañari people. They probably used it for both military purposes and religious ceremonies long before the Incas arrived.
The Incas started taking over Ecuador around 1450. This was during the time of their emperor Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui. Before the Incas came, the Cañari people were likely split into many smaller groups. These groups were related but ruled themselves. They joined together to fight the Incas, but the Incas won around 1460 after a tough fight.
Cojitambo was partly built by the Incas to control the Cañari people. It also helped them expand their empire further north. After conquering the Cañari, the Incas started a huge building project. They wanted to make the Cañari people a part of their empire. This included building the Inca royal road. This famous road stretched across the entire Inca Empire and passed right through Cojitambo. The site was also important for religious events and ceremonies.
The Incas also used Cojitambo as a quarry. This means they dug out large stones from the rock here. They used these stones, called andesite, to build their northern capital city, Tomebamba. Today, Tomebamba is known as Cuenca.
See also
In Spanish: Cojitambo para niños
