Hello bloggers, today we’re writing about the history of Maras, the Inca salt mines in Cusco, Peru. Learn more by reading our blog below.
History of the Maras Salt Mines:
It is believed that the Maras Salt Mines were built between 500 and 1100 A.D. by the Wari, a civilization that predated the Incas. During the reign of the Inca Empire, local inhabitants recognized a great opportunity in the mines and began expanding and extracting salt from the pools.
Legend has it that during one of his journeys, Ayar Cachi threw a stone at a mountain with such force that it created a deep ravine. Witnessing this incredible scene, his three brothers, fearful, decided to lock him in a cave to prevent him from becoming the founder of the empire.
The Maras Salt Mines:
These salt mines are also known as “salineras.” They consist of approximately 3,000 small pools, each measuring about 5 square meters.
How Were the Maras Salt Mines Formed?
The origins of the Maras Salt Mines date back thousands of years. Salty water emerges from the peaks of the Qaqawiñay Mountain and, upon evaporating due to intense sunlight, forms the characteristic natural salt pools of Maras.
What Is the Purpose of the Salt Mines?
This site is used to collect salt from the natural environment through a series of processes, producing salt using various methods and marketing techniques, always subject to strict quality controls that ensure the final product is safe for human consumption.
The MARAS SALT MINES are over 3,000 years old, according to archaeological evidence found in the area. They are located along Qoripuqio Mountain in the Peruvian Andes, within the Sacred Valley of the Incas, in the district of Maras, Urubamba Province, Cusco Department, Peru.
For hundreds of years, they have been managed by partner producers from the Andean Communities of Maras Ayllu and Pichingoto, who have passed down the land and salt cultivation techniques from generation to generation. The district of Maras is a town located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, with high potential for agricultural production.
Since ancient times, we have harvested and produced the most precious ingredients, regarded by the Inca nobility and the Spanish royalty as “THE GOLD OF MARAS.”
How Is Salt Extracted from the Salt Mines?
Sunlight heats and evaporates the salty water flowing through the saltpans, gradually concentrating the salt contained within. At the end of the process, the water completely evaporates, leaving behind salt crystals.
What Are the Maras Salt Mines?
They are salt mines, and their exploitation dates back as far as the Tahuantinsuyu (the Inca Empire). Located on a mountainside, the salt mines, shaped like terraces or platforms, are fed by underground water flowing down through the ravine. The origin of this springwater remains a mystery.
Maras is a town in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Peru, with a rich history steeped in tradition:
Pre-Inca Origins:
Maras was an administrative and commercial center since pre-Inca times, thanks to its salt mines.
Inca Period:
The Maras salt mines were considered as valuable as gold.
Colonial Period:
Pedro Ortiz de Orué founded the town during the colonial era.
Maras became a meeting point for descendants of the Incas and colonists.
Salt Tradition:
Salt mining in Maras has continued uninterrupted from the Early Horizon period (1000 B.C. – 200 B.C.) to the present day.
Cultural Preservation:
The people of Maras have maintained the tradition of salt extraction as an act of cultural preservation.
Tourism Development:
Maras has become a tourist destination that preserves its historic charm, featuring traditional architecture, characteristic portals, and ancestral customs.
Tourist attractions in Maras include the Colonial Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, the archaeological site of Moray, the Maras Salt Mines, and Pinchingoto.
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