Tulcán

Tulcán is the capital of the province of Carchi in Ecuador. The population of Tulcán is approximately 60,400. Tulcán is known for its hot springs, deep wells, and a 3-acre topiary garden cemetery, the most elaborate topiary in the New World, created in Cupressus sempervirens by José Maria Azael Franco in 1936. The city is the highest in Ecuador, at 2,950 m (9,680 ft) above sea level.

Etymology

The name is a Spaniard derivation of the indigenous peoples' original name Hul-Can, which in Mayan means "Warrior".

History

The known history of the aboriginal occupants of this lands begins with the conquest of the Incas, who never definitively conquered this people. The Spanish, seeking gold, became interested in the Quillasinga (the name given to the land), meaning "Gold Noses". Quillasinga was named without distinction of the ethnic occupants including the Pastos. Upon assuming the sovereignty for the Spanish crown, the territory was divided into provinces: Quillasinga road to Quito, Quillasinga road to Popayan, Quillasinga road to Almaguer, and Quillasinga road of the mountains. Tulcan's foundation is said to have been on June 11, 1535. With the arrival of colonists and further Spanish conquistadors, its growth increased and immediately passed to serve the Township of Otavalo, until 1600 when it passed to the township of Ibarra.