Ayacucho

Ayacucho Huamanga
Ayacucho's cathedral by night
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s): The City of Churches
Ayacucho Location in Peru
Coordinates: 13°09′47″S 74°13′28″W / 13.16306°S 74.22444°W / -13.16306; -74.22444
Country	Peru
Region	Ayacucho
Province	Huamanga
Settled	April 25, 1540
Government
• Mayor	Salomón Hugo Aedo Mendoza
Area
• Total	2,981.37 km2 (1,151.11 sq mi)
Elevation	2,761 m (9,058 ft)
Population (2014)
• Total	177,420
• Density	60/km2 (150/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Ayacuchano, -1
Time zone	PET (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	PET (UTC-5)
Area code(s)	66
Website	http://www.munihuamanga.gob.pe/

Ayacucho (Spanish pronunciation: [aʝaˈkutʃo], Quechua: Ayacuchu), is the capital city of Huamanga Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru.

Ayacucho is famous for its 33 churches, which represent one for each year of Jesus' life. Ayacucho has large religious celebrations, especially during the Holy Week of Easter. These celebrations include horse races featuring Peruvian Caballos de Paso and the traditional running of the bulls, known locally as the jalatoro or pascuatoro. The jalatoro is similar to the Spanish encierro, except that the bulls are led by horses of the Morochucos.

The name is derived from the Quechua words aya (death) and kuchu ("corner"), referring to a major battle for independence. Another possible interpretation is "soul or spirit corner," in reference to the great devotion of its people, even in pre-Hispanic times.

Vestiges of human settlements more than 15,000 years old have been found in the site of Pikimachay, about 25 km north of Ayacucho. From 500 to 900, the region became occupied by the Wari culture, which became known as the first expansionist empire based in the Andes before the Inca Empire.

The Ayacucho region was inhabited by varying indigenous cultures for thousands of years, including the Wari, Chanka people, and Nazca culture before the Inca conquest.