Peruvian children in traditional costumes.
Peruvian Ambassador to Egypt Miguel Alemán Urteaga, joined by Ambassador Khaled Azmi, Assistant Foreign Minister for American Affairs, inaugurated “The Great Inca Road, Peru: Integration and Diversity” at the Adam Henein Gallery of Al-Hanager Arts Centre.
The exhibition is open to the public at Al-Hanager Arts Centre until 3 December.
Peruvian Ambassador Miguel Alemán Urteaga talks to Ambassador Khaled Azmi at the opening of the exhibition.
The opening ceremony brought together a wide range of diplomatic figures, including the ambassadors of Spain, Sweden, Lithuania, Portugal, Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Slovenia, and Albania.
Representatives from Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Malaysia, and the Arab League were also in attendance.
The exhibition centres on the Qhapaq Ñan, or Inca Trail—one of the most ambitious engineering and cultural achievements of the Andean world. Designed to integrate diverse landscapes and communities, the trail served as the backbone of the Inca Empire, linking its peoples, regional resources, and administrative centres under a sophisticated system monitored from Cusco.
Beyond its logistical function, the network generated dynamic exchanges of social, economic, cultural, technological, and ideological values across the Andean territories. Despite being constructed more than five centuries ago, many stretches of the Qhapaq Ñan remain in active use today.
Residents of surrounding communities continue to travel its paths for trade, education, work, agricultural activities, and participation in local festivities—maintaining a living tradition passed down through generations.
Peru’s Ministry of Culture, through the Qhapaq Ñan Project – National Headquarters, has been working to research, protect, and revitalize this shared heritage. The initiative seeks not only to safeguard the physical routes but also to preserve the ancestral knowledge and cultural practices embedded in them.
Peruvian Ambassador Miguel Alemán Urteaga, joined by Ambassador Khaled Azmi, and other guests at the exhibition.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru is supporting these efforts by promoting the Inca Trail internationally, with the Cairo exhibition forming part of this campaign.
The display underscores the Inca Trail’s role as a unique architectural and cultural corridor that continues to connect diverse peoples and geographies across Peru. From the Inca period to the present day, the route has served as a vital means of communication, mobility, and ritual exchange throughout the Andean world.
Local women using the bicycle as a means of transport along the Inca Road. Photo courtesy of Peru Embassy.
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