Ayacucho Landmarks and Monuments

(Ayacucho, Peru)

One of the largest, oldest and most spectacular of all the ancient landmarks around Ayacucho and within Huamanga Province is unquestionably the Wari Archaeological Complex (Complejo Arqueologico Wari). The pre-Inca archaeological site of the Complejo Arqueologico Wari is simply vast and this landmark is spread along the highway, stretching between Ayacucho and Quinua, where it serves as a monument to the past.

Within the city itself, the centrally located cathedral is amongst the most magnificent of all Ayacucho's landmarks and presides over the eastern side of the Plaza de Armas, where it stands on the Portal Municipal and next to the iPeru tourist office. Also playing an important part of the city's history is the San Cristobal of Huamanga University (Universidad Nacional San Cristobal de Huamanga), which was founded as far back as 1677.

Cathedral

Address: Plaza de Armas, Portal Municipal, Ayacucho, Peru, PE
Dating back to the 17th century, the Ayacucho Cathedral is home to an interesting religious art museum, where a number of historic paintings and artefacts are displayed. The cathedral is very Moorish in its appearance and features a fairly subtle pair of bell towers, which are illuminated with dramatic lighting each night.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Complejo Arqueologico Wari (Wari Archaeological Complex)

Address: Ayacucho, Peru, PE
Once a major city in the Wari (Huari) empire with no less than 50,000 residents, this sprawling Wari complex dates from the turn of the 7th century and considering its age, remains in surprisingly good condition. Highlights include walls standing over 10 metres / 32 feet high, along with a series of long tunnels, ancient landmarks and fascinating burial chambers. It is strongly believed that this impressive structure was actually the very first walled city in the whole of the Andes, greatly influencing the culture and society of the Inca people when they began colonising Peru many years later. The Complejo Arqueologico Wari covers some 740 acres / 300 hectares and is home to the field where the Battle of Ayacucho (Battle of La Quinua) took place in December of 1824, with this site being today marked by a white obelisk towering 12 metres / 40 feet high.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children

Universidad Nacional San Cristobal de Huamanga (San Cristobal of Huamanga University)

Address: Ayacucho, Peru, PE
The city's very own San Cristobal of Huamanga University is known locally as the Universidad Nacional San Cristobal de Huamanga and is an especially historical 17th-century landmark. During the middle of the 19th century, Ayacucho's university was closed for a number of years, although it was reopened in 1959 by Peru's government, when it became a national university, soon earning itself quite a reputation in the world of education. However, in the 1960s it was also linked with a number of extreme communist organisations, including the Shining Path (Communist Party of Peru).
Open hours: daily
Admission: free