Celebrate the Inti Raymi in Cusco

What is Inti Raymi?

Every June 24th is celebrated in Cusco the “Inti Raymi”, also known as the “Tribute to the Sun”. This is the most important and spectacular festival related to the Inca culture, because their religious beliefs consisted in worshiping the Sun God, who was called “Apu Inti”.

As the history indicates, and thanks to the evidence of its own legacies, the Incas were expert astrologers, reason why this date takes more relevance; June 24th is the day when the sun is at its most distant point from the earth and coincides with the winter solstice, which represents the Andean New Year.

How is the Inti Raymi celebrated?

In Inca times, this celebration consisted of making livestock sacrifices and dances to worship their God. The last Inti Raymi that was realized with the presence of the Inca Emperor was in the year of 1535, a year before the Spanish Conquest.

Today, among the activities carried out to pay tribute to this God, there is a great theatrical performance that takes place in three important areas within the city of Cusco: the salute to the sun, in the old Temple of Qorikancha, also called Convent of Santo Domingo, later the encounter of two times in Plaza de Armas, between the Inca and the Mayor of Cusco, and finally, the central ceremony in Saqsayhuaman.

Thousands of spectators, both locals and foreign, gather in this annual celebration to see firsthand one of the most striking cultural manifestations of Peru. And although it is a date in which the cold prevails, we invite you to also be part of this Cusco tradition and enjoy it front row. We assure you it will be worth it and you will not regret it!

Meanwhile, we share this video so you can have a sneak peek of what it is:

VIDEO

Images of: http://www.emufec.gob.pe/ and http://www.in-peru.travel/