The Inca storehouse used along roads and near cities was called a qullqa.
Qullqas were state storage buildings distributed throughout the Inca Empire. They held food, clothing, weapons, tools, and other supplies for armies, officials, laborers, ceremonies, and emergency relief. Their placement near roads and administrative centers allowed the state to move resources efficiently across a vast mountainous territory.
Many qullqas were built in groups on dry, well-drained hillsides. Their designs supported preservation: round structures were commonly associated with maize, while rectangular buildings were often used for potatoes and other crops. Ventilation channels beneath the floors and openings near the roofs helped control moisture and airflow.
Qullqas were closely connected to the Inca road system, but they were not the same as tambos. A tambo was a roadside station or lodging place, whereas a qullqa was primarily a warehouse. The spelling varies in English sources, including colca, collca, qolca, and qollca.