Wari ruins

The Wari Ruins are located near Quinua, in the Huanta Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru at an altitude 2770 m above sea-level. These ruins are all that is left of Wari, the capital city of the Wari (hispanicized Huari). They are an 8-day hike at the end of the Cactus trail which is a well-known destination for tourists.

This capital city covers some 16 square kilometers, and the architecture is aligned to conform to the local topography. This was a highly organized city with residential, administrative, and religious areas. The ruins appear to be in almost the same condition as they were during the days of the powerful Wari empire, from about CE 500 to 900. There are signs that most of the buildings were coated with a layer of white plaster. More recently that were the headquarters for the Shining Path.

The Wari were a Middle Horizon civilization. This civilization spread out across the south-central Andes and coastal area of modern-day Peru. The Wari came after the Moche and before the Chimu and Inca cultures.

Other sites where Wari ruins were discovered are at Pikillaqta near Cuzco, Peru, and the recently discovered (2008) Northern Wari ruins near the city of Chiclayo.