Arequipa

Several hypotheses have been proposed for the origin of the name "Arequipa". Some derive from local tradition, while others rest on geographical, archaeological and linguistic arguments. One proposed derivation links the name to the Puquina language, spoken by the region's first inhabitants before the arrival of Aymara-speaking groups. According to this hypothesis, the original form was Are-quiapi. The main Puquina urban nucleus, Kasa-Patak, was discovered in 1942, and much local toponymy is said to derive from that language. …

Until shortly before the rise of the Inca Empire, the area of the modern city contained nomadic groups devoted to hunting, fishing and gathering. They domesticated animals, mainly camelids, and began to settle and practice agriculture. Over time, migration within the region led to the first settlements, many of them connected to the sea. These links created early communication routes and made the territory more accessible. Irrigation canals were built in the Chili River valley, allowing cultivation on the plains and on the terraces along the river slopes. The Yarabaya and Chimba groups settled in the area now occupied by the city and, together with the Collagua and Cabana communities, developed an agrarian economy in the desert. When Mayta Cápac reached the plain of the Chili River, he did not found a city. …

The city lies in the Quechua altitudinal region at an elevation of 2328 m above sea level. Its lowest sector, known as Huayco in the district of Uchumayo, is at 2041 m, while its highest point reaches 2810 m. The Chili River crosses the center of the city from north to southwest, forming the Arequipa or Chili valley. Surrounded by mountains to the north and east and hills to the south and west, the valley functions as a geographical corridor connecting the desert with the highland puna. This setting makes Arequipa a meeting point between the coast and the highlands and a nexus for regional communication and development. From almost any point in the city, volcanic cones such as Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu can be seen. Volcanic lava layers dominate the surrounding Andean landscape. …

On 15 August 1540, a plan of 49 blocks or islands was laid out. The sides of each block measured 400 Castilian feet (111.40 meters), separated by streets 37 Castilian feet (10.30 meters) wide. The foundational grid is noted for the precision of its blocks. Pedro Dávalos y Lissón, in La Primera Centuria, reproduced a description offered by Paz Soldán in 1855: This city was founded by order of Francisco Pizarro and by solemn proclamation on 15 August 1540. Its first site was behind Cayma, but it was later moved to its present location because it offered more space and convenience. In laying it out, care was taken that its streets should cross at right angles, nearly north-south and east-west, and that each block should be 150 varas long and about twelve wide. …

Arequipa has a diversified economy in which industry, agriculture, commerce and construction play central roles. Fertile valleys and high-Andean areas also make agriculture and livestock relevant, and irrigation systems have been built to improve productivity. In recent times, mining has modernized, moving from primarily artisanal or small enterprises toward large-scale mining, exemplified by companies such as Cerro Verde, founded in 1993 in the city of Arequipa. Arequipa is Peru's second most industrialized and economically active city. In 2024 the Department of Arequipa reached a nominal GDP of S/31.458 billion and GDP per capita of S/19,593, making it the country's second-largest regional economy. Because the capital city concentrates much of the department's economic activity, the departmental figure provides broad macroeconomic context for the city. …

The historic center of Arequipa, covering about 332 hectares, contains 5,817 properties, of which 500 are considered heritage buildings. Most of these buildings, erected in the 19th century, stand on the foundations of colonial structures destroyed by the 1868 earthquake. These casonas, predominantly built in sillar, are distinguished by semicircular arches and vaulted roofs. Sillar, a white and occasionally pink volcanic stone, has played a fundamental role in Arequipa's architecture from pre-Inca cultures to the present; ancient inhabitants used it to create petroglyphs and pictograms. In colonial and republican buildings, sillar walls are 1 to 1.5 meters thick in rooms and more than 2 meters thick in churches. Lime mortar gives the walls uniformity, reinforced by brick or sillar vaults, the latter choice explained by the scarcity of wood. …