Humahuaca

This article is about the Argentine city. For the gorge see Quebrada de Humahuaca . For the administrative unit see Departamento Humahuaca .

Humahuaca

Basic data
location	23 ° 12 ′  S , 65 ° 21 ′  W Coordinates: 23 ° 12 ′  S , 65 ° 21 ′  W
Height above d. M .:	2939  m
Population (2001):	11,369
administration
Province :	Jujuy
Department :	Humahuaca
Mayor:	Miguel Marcos Medina
Others
Postal code :	Y4630
Telephone code:	03887

The city of Humahuaca [ umaˈwaka ] is located in northwest Argentina , in the north of the Jujuy Province . It is the capital of the Humahuaca department of the same name . Including its suburbs, it has around 15,000 inhabitants, the majority of whom are descended from the indigenous people of the Kollas and Omaguacas . The city was founded in 1591 (other sources: 1594) by Juan Ochoa Zárate. Until the end of the 19th century it was an important trading center of the so-called Alto Perú.

Location and geography

The city is located on the Río Grande de Jujuy in the Quebrada de Humahuaca gorge at an altitude of 2950 meters. Because of the great variety of ores, the surrounding mountains are multicolored. The climate is desert-like with a short rainy season in summer.

economy

The economy is mainly based on two pillars: mining in the neighboring El Aguilar mine and tourism. There is also intensive agriculture in the area. Unemployment in the city and region is high because of the deep mining crisis. Despite its tourism potential, the city is one of the poorest in the country, but this is slowly changing due to the rapid growth of this sector of the economy.

tourism

Virgen de la Medalla Milagrosa in Peña Blanca

The city is a popular travel destination thanks to its well-preserved colonial center . The most famous buildings are the cathedral and the town hall , but almost the entire center is still in the architecture of the early 19th century. Also in the city is the Monumento a los Héroes de la Independencia (Monument to the Heroes of Independence), which is dedicated to the Argentine Northern Army, which fought fourteen battles near Humahuaca during the War of Independence against Spain.

There is a market in the center.

In the Museo Arqueológico y Museo Folklórico Regional , the customs of the region are shown, including the production of chicha , a fermented corn drink.

East of Humahuaca is the suburb of Peña Blanca with a lookout point and the sanctuary "Virgen de la Medalla Milagrosa",

About ten kilometers northeast of Humahuaca are the ruins of Coctaca .

See also : Tourism in Argentina

Buildings

The cathedral "Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria" dates from 1641 and celebrates its patron saint on February 1st and 2nd. In the church there are the figures of the Blessed Virgin and the twelve apostles, carved by Marcos Sapaca from the Cuzquen school.

The town hall of the place ("Cabildo de Humahuaca") was inaugurated on February 2, 1940 on the initiative of Ernesto Padilla . Every day at noon and midnight, a double door opens in the town hall tower and San Francisco Solano moves a step towards the crowd to bless them. Then he withdraws and the doors close. The clockwork and mechanics come from Nuremberg and weigh around 1,800 kilograms.

The monument "Monumento a los Héroes de la Independencia" has been a reminder of the battles for independence against the Spaniards since 1950 and serves as the backdrop for the annual "Tantanakuy", a local music festival.

The Santa Bárbara Tower ("Torre de Santa Bárbara") on a nearby hill is one of the remains of a Spanish fortification from the 19th century. It was the site of a battle against the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation in 1837.

Events

The city is particularly known for its traditional carnival, a festival in which Christian and Indian elements have been mixed (see also Pachamama ). The colorful parades are accompanied by traditional folklore music from the region.

sons and daughters of the town

• Justiniano Torres Aparicio (1906–1992), doctor, archeologist, composer, musicologist and author

Web links

• IFAM - Statistical Information (Spanish)
• LiveArgentina.com - City information (Spanish)
• Photo gallery

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Peña Blanca ( Memento of the original from December 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.