theocracy · South America

Iraca

1300 CE – 1537 CE (approx.) · capital Sugamuxi

A Muisca priestly lordship centred on Sugamuxi, home of the great Temple of the Sun and chosen as the sacred heart of the Muisca world.

Origins

Iraca, centred on Sugamuxi, the modern Sogamoso in Boyacá, was one of the territories of the Muisca Confederation. Muisca tradition held that the culture hero Bochica, also called Idacansas, had lived there and named his successor before departing, making Sugamuxi a sacred place.

Rule and society

Iraca was ruled by a high priest, the iraca, who was chosen alternately from two local communities, Tobasá and Firavitoba, and confirmed by nearby chiefs. The Temple of the Sun at Sugamuxi drew pilgrims and offerings. Iraca stood apart from the rival zaque of Hunza and the zipa of Bacatá and was often allied with Tundama.

Decline and legacy

Spanish troops under Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada reached Sugamuxi in 1537, and the Temple of the Sun burned down while soldiers looted it. Iraca was then absorbed into the New Kingdom of Granada. The temple has been reconstructed in Sogamoso's archaeological museum.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (2)

More states of South America →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Iraca. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/iraca
MLA
“Iraca.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/iraca. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Iraca.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/iraca.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Iraca’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/iraca (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻