Tahuantinsuyo / Tawantinsuyu

The ancient empire ruled by the Inca was called Tawantinsuyu (Quechua), or Tahuantinsuyo (Spanish). The name means “Realm of the four regions.” The global map above shows the locations of the four regions, or suyus. The point at which all four meet in the center is the location of Cuzco, the original capital of the empire.

Map of Tahuantinsuyo with Modern Country Borders

The map to the right shows the late extension of the empire just before the Spanish conquest, with modern country boundaries overlayed. As you can see, the location of the original capital was in what is now southern Peru.

Much of our trip will concentrate on that region.