Llamuqa

A sacred mountain (apu) with extensive archaeological remains in the Arequipa Region of Peru, rising to approximately 4,487 metres in the Andes. The name means 'black stone of iron with curative powers' in Quechua. The complex includes public, domestic, and funerary architecture across multiple sectors, with occupation spanning from the Early Archaic period (c. 8000 BCE) through the Inca era. Activity peaked during the Middle Horizon (CE 600-1000) when the Wari state incorporated mountain deity worship into its imperial strategy. Local communities still venerate it as sacred today.