Welcome! We hope you enjoy “Descendants of the Incas.” The images and comments you explore will give you a flavor of the rich culture of Inca people living today near the city of Cusco, once the capital of the Inca empire.

“Descendants Of The Inca” was the original site for the Center For Traditional Textiles of Cusco, Peru and was developed to fulfill one of the Center’s goals, to share information with you and others about the Native American culture of the Andes.

The Center’s overall purpose is to help preserve and celebrate Andean textiles, improve the economy of the villages and assist weavers in carrying on a tradition practiced for more than 2000 years.

The Center is fortunate to have Nilda Callañaupa living in Cusco, Peru as founder, Director and President for more than a dozen years. During this time the Center has expanded to collaborate with nine villages and has a central museum, permanent exhibit, museum shop, and offices and dormitories for visiting weavers at its central location in Cusco at Av. Sol, near the site of the The Temple of the Sun.

Nilda grew up in the high village of Chinchero, an important Inca center where, in the sixteenth century, the Emperor Tupa Inca built his country estate, a palace, temple, ceremonial spaces, terraces and royal storehouses.Chinchero also served as a Tambo or resting place on the Inca Royal Road. Machu Picchu, the so called “lost city of the Incas,” not far from Chinchero, is thought to have served as the next Tambo on the Inca Road. We welcome any suggestions or feedback from you as you explore our site.

“Descendants of the Incas” has been on the Web for fourteen years.

A Message from Nilda Callañaupa

Director and President, Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco, Peru

 

 

 

Writer and Photographer with Nilda

Elizabeth Van Buskirk, writer and David Van Buskirk, photographer

Writing the book: An authors blog journal
Stories and Folktales of Inca life. Expected publication, 2013