Inca road system awarded World Heritage status

World Today

Inca road system awarded World Heritage status

A vast network of roads built by the Incas more than 400 years ago is awarded World Heritage status by the United Nations’ cultural body. The system passes through six South American countries. CCTV’s Dan Collyns reports from Lima, Peru.

It traverses much of South America’s most diverse terrain, linking communities in the Andes Mountains with those in fertile valleys, as well as those in rain forests and deserts.

The United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO, describes the Qhapac Nan Andean Road System as an engineering wonder that must be restored and preserved. It was one of several sites recently chosen by the UN body’s World Heritage Committee which met in the Qatari capital of Doha.

More than 30 thousand kilometers in length, it stretched from modern day Colombia in the north to Argentina and Chile in the south, via Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. The Inca empire used roads to administrate their territory and this enormous system of pathways still exists and it’s also still in use by communities in the Andes across six South American nations.

Those countries joined together to get UNESCO recognition for the road which dates back to the 15th century.The World Heritage status will help will raise funds to preserve and restore this immense road network.

Inca road system awarded World Heritage status

A vast network of roads built by the Incas more than 400 years ago is awarded World Heritage status by the United Nations' cultural body. The system passes through six South American countries. CCTV's Dan Collyns reports from Lima, Peru.