The Inca Empire built the road network centered on the city of Cusco in South America.
The Inca state, known in its own language as Tawantinsuyu, controlled much of the Andes before the Spanish conquest. Its capital was Cusco, in present-day Peru. The empire connected diverse highland, coastal, and forest regions through an extensive system of roads, bridges, storehouses, and relay stations.
The Qhapaq Ñan, or Royal Road, covered tens of thousands of kilometres. It was designed for administrators, armies, messengers, and state logistics rather than wheeled vehicles, because the Andes lacked suitable draft animals and terrain was often extremely steep. Runners known as chasquis carried messages between relay stations.
The network included remarkable suspension bridges made from plant fibres and carefully engineered mountain paths. Spanish forces arrived during a civil war between Atahualpa and Huáscar, and Francisco Pizarro captured Atahualpa in 1532. Inca roads still influence travel routes and remain important archaeological and cultural heritage.