The Inca Empire spanned the distance of northern Ecuador to central Chile, comprising 100 different ethnic groups, in the Andes region during the 12th century A.D. The Inca religion centred on a pantheon of gods: Inti, a creator-god named Viracocha, and Apu Illapu, the Rain-god. Impressive shrines built throughout the kingdom, included a massive Sun Temple in Cusco. The mummified remains of previous emperors were also treated as sacred figures and paraded around at ceremonies. The arrival of Spanish explorers triggered the collapse of the state. In 1911, the 15th-century magnificient mountaintop citadel of Machu Picchu was discovered.
The Inca Empire
