Abancay

This article is about the town Abancay in Peru. For information on the province and the district with the same name, see, Abancay (disambiguation).

Abancay, Apurimac, Peru
—  Town  —
Central square in Abancay
Flag Seal
Motto: El Eterno Valle Primaveral (The Eternal Primeval Valley)
Abancay, Apurimac, Peru Location of the city of Abancay in Peru
Coordinates: 13°38′S 72°53′W
Country	Peru
Region	Apurímac Region
Province	Abancay Province
Established	1540
Government
• Mayor	Manuel Campos Césped
Elevation	2,378 m (7,802 ft)
Population (2007)
• Total	57,750
	calculation
Website	www.muniabancay.gob.pe

Abancay is a city in southern-central Peru. It is the capital and most important city in the Apurímac Region, it is also the capital of the Abancay Province.

Location

A Sunday Farmer's Market in Abancay

Abancay is located at an elevation of 2,378 m above sea level in the southern Peruvian Andes, above the Pachachaca River. Because of its dry mountain and famous year-around warm weather it is known as "The Eternal Primeval Valley". The nearest cities are Cusco, Chalhuanca and Andahuaylas. Abancay is located at the junction of two important Peruvian roads: the Caminos del Inca Road, an old road dating since Incan times, between the cities of Nazca and Cusco, and the Via de los Libertadores, connecting Ayacucho and Cusco.

History

Abancay was already a populated area before the arrival of the Incas. It was the frontier of the Quechua-Inca cultural influence area to the Chancas, an ethnic native group of Peru. Its name comes from a flower native to the region called Amankay. When the Spanish arrived, they transliterated the word and named the city Abancay, Villa de los Reyes ("Abancay, Town of the Kings"), which was later reduced to Abancay, its current name.

Tourism

The Carnival is the town's main celebration festival. It is famous for be one of the best Peruvian ethnomusical festivals. It takes place from the last week of February through the last week of March. The comparsas contest and Yunsa games, with people dressing in local traditional costumes, fills the streets of the city. Every social group, from market vendors, students, government officials, teachers, etc., participate in the games which also have the support from the local and regional government due its cultural relevance.

The city's surroundings have some astonishing landscapes, such as the Ampay National Sanctuary, a wildlife sanctuary and a frontier within the Andes and the Clouded Forest of the Amazonian Basin, located north of the city on which is located the mountain called Apu Ampay (the Lord of Ampay, in the indigenous cosmology) that reaches heights of approximately 5,300 meters above sea level; cave paintings, meteorites crash sites, lagoons, waterfalls, wildlife, orchids and the famous Intimpa tree (a unique tropical conifer preserved by an effort lead by the WWF) constitutes few of the attractions that the nature lovers will find.

The Pachachaca River is famous for his colonial bridge and its rapids where whithewater Canyoneering and kayaking can be practiced in one of the best and longest Peruvian locations for it. Remains of The Pachachaca State, an important producer of sugar and brandy during colonial and republican times, is now part one of the attractions of the city.

Uspaccocha Lagoon, at the National Shrine of Ampay.

The Saywite Archeological Site is a famous temple and adoration center dating from of Inca times which is located few kilometers from the city. Therein is the world renowned Saywite Stone. The stone is a roughly spherically-shaped monolith that has a representation of the Inca world. It suggests that the Incas had a much better understanding of astronomy than Europeans used to give them credit for. There is Taxi service from the city.

The Konoc Hot Springs (Cconocc, in Quechua) is a resort located a few kilometers from Saywite and is one of the best places in Peru to enjoy thermal baths from volcanic waters. It is claimed that regular baths in the springs can cure arthritis, asthma, and psoriasis.

Abancay is the gate to the Inca city of Choquequirao, next to the Apurimac River, which is considered as important as Machu Picchu. There is evidence that the real dimensions of the city are much larger than what has been uncovered, excavated and studied until now.

Education

High Schools

Abancay is home of the Colegio Nacional "Miguel Grau" a high school created in the 1880s and since them it had educated each generation of the city. The main festivity of the school is October 8 of each year, day in which all the alumni reunite and celebrate its companionship. It is traditional that the classes which are celebrating their Silver and Gold jubilees heads the festivities, expending a lot of money on it.

Universities

Abancay, despite its small size, is an important center of higher education. The city is home of one state university Universidad Nacional Micaela Bastidas de Apurimac and two private universities, Universidad Tecnológica de los Andes and Universidad Alas Peruanas. There are also two college level institutions, Escuela Normal La Salle for teachers and education issues, and SENATI for industrial-related training.

Literary References

This town is the setting of José María Arguedas's novel, Deep Rivers. An important book that gives accounts of the history, traditions and customs of the city is "Alma y Rostro de Abancay", by Guillermo Vidalegut, a late local journalist and author.

External links

• Municipalidad de Abancay
• Universidad Tecnológica de los Andes
• Universidad Nacional Micaela Bastidas de Apurimac
• World Gazatteer