17/06/2023
DID YOU KNOW THIS?
MARAS SALTMINES
Among the countless tourist attractions that the Sacred Valley of the Incas houses, there is one that stands out for its great natural beauty and enigmatic origin: the Saltmines of Maras. Located 50 km from the city of Cusco and at an altitude of more than 3,000 m.a.s.l., this place is a true visual spectacle that will dazzle you.
HISTORY
It is a large area made up of about 4500 natural salt wells fed by an underground spring, whose history dates back more than 100 million years. Currently, the Saltmines are not only of great importance for supplying salt to the entire Cusco region, but also mean a valuable source of export of this essential culinary seasoning to the world.
The history of the Salt Mines of Maras is still a mystery. Like other Andean sites, there are Inca legends that tell about its origins. The most famous has as main characters the four Ayar brothers, who, commissioned by their father, the God Viracocha, had as their mission to go in search of fertile lands in order to found the great empire of the Incas.
Legend has it that, during one of the trips, Ayar Cachi, threw a stone at a mountain with such force that it caused the formation of a ravine. Seeing the incredible scene, the three brothers, fearful, decided to lock him in a cave in order to prevent him from being the founder of the empire. Surprised and saddened by the actions of his brothers, Ayar Cachi cried so inconsolably that his tears began to form a set of pools that then the sun dried up forming the salt flats.
In the early Vice regal Period, this space was under the control of the descendants of Tupac Inca Yupanqui and Huayna Capac, who through the yanaconas (people without ayllu who worked in slavery) controlled and worked the salt.
According to studies of historians, at the time of Tahuantinsuyo, the Incas took over the operation of the Saltmines, extracting and conserving the mineral. It is even said that they came to use it for their mummifications and other religious ceremonies. The ownership and management of this valuable area was continued by local communities, passed down from generation to generation to the present day.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE SALT OF MARAS
Due to its low content of sodium chloride, it helps regulate the blood pressure for those persons who have hypertension. For this, they should take baths using a tablespoon of this salt for each liter of water and dive approximately for 30 minutes; then, they should let de body dry without the use of towels.
Another of its benefits is that it contains properties that help in the healing of skin wounds such as ulcers, varicose veins, herpes and psoriasis. Likewise, its consumption is recommended for those suffering from arthritis and osteoarthritis, due to its high anti-inflammatory contributions, just by dissolving a tablespoon in a liter of water and placing the mixture in a damp cloth on the affected area.
NUMERICAL DATA
It is recorded that each well has a measure of 5 square meters and almost 30 centimeters deep, per month in the Saltmines of Maras export about 150 to 200 kilograms of salt for each well, of which resulting a total of 787500 kilograms of salt throughout the Maras saltmines monthly.
This product has been registered export abroad, to be punctual is exported to the countries of the United States, Colombia and El Salvador, also for obvious reason much of this product is consumed in the Peruvian country.
ECONOMIC DATA
Currently there is a record that per kilogram of salt extracted from these salt mines, an amount of 4 soles per kilo is paid, it should also be noted that there are varieties of salt, which are sold at a higher price in the same area.
It is known that, to be able to visit the salt mines of Maras, a general price of s / .10 soles is paid, which is administered by the local municipality in favor of the population of Maras.
