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Inca road network

A winding Inca road network, known as the qhapaq ñan, snakes through rugged mountain terrain, showcasing the engineering prowess of the Inca empire.

Known in Quechua as the qhapaq ñan, the royal road system of the Inca empire ran for an estimated 40,000 kilometres, linking the coast, the highlands, and the eastern slope of the Andes. Built for runners and llama caravans rather than wheeled traffic, it crossed gorges on suspension bridges of woven ichu grass and climbed passes above 5,000 metres. UNESCO inscribed the surviving network in 2014.

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