The Aymara people are a group who live mostly in Peru and Bolivia. The Aymara have been around for at least 800 years, and they live around Lake Titicaca. About 2 million people speak the Aymara language today. It used to be spoken by more people, but it has lost speakers to Quechua and Spanish over time.
The Aymara culture is considered a precursor of the Inca culture. The Aymara used the Ayllu social system, which became the basis of Inca society. The Aymara also used terraced farming, like the Incas. The area where the Aymara live was conquered by the Incas, but the date of the takeover is unknown.
It is believed that the architecture that the Incas are famous for was not originally Inca, but was taken from the area where the Aymara live. The Aymara were influenced by the Incas in many ways, and they also influenced the Incas. Many words in the Quechua language are of Aymara origin.
Although the Aymara people and the Quechua people are similar in many ways, and have long been influencing each other, the Aymara are different from the Quechua speakers also in many ways, and have different beliefs, customs, and clothing styles among other things.
Today the Aymara have been influenced by Western culture brought by the Spanish as well. Many of their religious practices are a mix of Catholicism and native religion. Many Aymara people still turn to shamans for healing or magic.
