Inca Religion

Overview of Inca Religion

Inca religion was the state faith of Tawantinsuyu, the Inca Empire, which in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries stretched along the Andes. It built on far older Andean traditions shared by many peoples. The emperor, called the Sapa Inca, was regarded as the son of Inti, the sun, and the capital Cusco was considered the navel of the world, with its Coricancha temple as the empire's holiest shrine. Conquered peoples kept their own local gods, while the Inca brought key sacred objects to Cusco to bind the empire together.

Viracocha was honored as the creator, Inti as the sun and ancestor of the royal line, Mama Killa as the moon and Illapa as thunder. Pachamama, the earth mother, and the apus, spirits of mountains, governed fertility and well-being. Sacred places and objects called huacas, including springs, rocks, shrines and mummies of ancestors, were spread across the landscape and linked to Cusco by imaginary lines called ceques. Specialist priests and chosen women, called acllas, served these shrines and brewed chicha for ceremonies.

Rituals included offerings of food, chicha beer, coca leaves, llamas and, on rare occasions, children in the capacocha ceremony. Royal mummies were cared for as if alive. After the Spanish conquest, the state religion was dismantled, but many Andean beliefs persisted. Today Quechua and Aymara communities still make offerings to Pachamama and the apus, and Inti Raymi is reenacted each June in Cusco. Colonial records, including Spanish accounts written to suppress local worship, preserve much of what is known today.

Core beliefs

• Inti, the sun, was the divine ancestor of the Inca rulers.
• Viracocha was the creator of the world and people.
• Pachamama, the earth mother, required offerings to remain fertile.
• Mountains were powerful spirits called apus.
• Huacas, sacred places and objects, were present across the land.
• Ancestors lived on through their preserved bodies.

Ritual and worship in antiquity

• Offerings of coca, chicha and food to Pachamama and the apus.
• Care of royal mummies, who were consulted and feasted.
• Sacrifice of llamas at major ceremonies.
• Divination using coca leaves and animal entrails.
• Capacocha ceremonies on high mountain summits.

Experiencing the heritage of Inca Religion

Inca pilgrims traveled to the Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca, believed to be the birthplace of the sun, to the oracle at Pachacamac near Lima, and to the Coricancha in Cusco. Mountain summits received offerings during capacocha rites. Today travelers can walk the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, explore Cusco's Coricancha and Sacsayhuaman, visit the Sacred Valley, and take boats to the Island of the Sun. The Qoyllur Riti festival shows living Andean pilgrimage.

Ancient festivals

Etiquette for visitors

• Book Machu Picchu tickets and circuits well in advance; entry is timed.
• Acclimatize to altitude in Cusco or the Sacred Valley before strenuous hikes.
• Do not touch or lean on Inca stonework, which is fragile despite appearances.
• Respect offerings, such as coca leaves, left at shrines and mountain passes.
• Ask before photographing people in traditional dress, and offer a tip if expected.
• Use licensed guides, which are required at Machu Picchu.

Map of Inca Religion sacred sites

Frequently asked questions