Sogamoso () is a city in the department of Boyacá of

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

. It is the capital of the Sugamuxi Province, named after the original Sugamuxi. Sogamoso is nicknamed "City of the Sun", based on the original

Muisca The Muisca (also called the Chibcha) are indigenous peoples in Colombia and were a Pre-Columbian culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The Muisca spe ...

tradition of pilgrimage and adoring their Sun god

Sué Sué, Xué, Sua, Zuhe or Suhé was the deity, god of the Sun in the Muisca religion and mythology, religion of the Muisca. He was married to Moon goddess Chía (goddess), Chía.Ocampo López, 2013, Ch.4, p.33 The Muisca people, Muisca and their Mu ...

at the Sun Temple. The city is located at an altitude of on the

Altiplano Cundiboyacense The Altiplano Cundiboyacense () is a high plateau located in the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes covering parts of the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá. (Do not confuse with The Altiplano or the Altiplano Nariñense, both fur ...

in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian

Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

Etymology

Sogamoso is named after Sugamuxi or Suamox, the original name in

Chibcha The Muisca (also called the Chibcha) are indigenous peoples in Colombia and were a Pre-Columbian cultures of Colombia, Pre-Columbian culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish colonizati ...

for the city and

Sugamuxi Sugamuxi (died 1539) was the last '' iraca''; ''cacique'' of the sacred City of the Sun Suamox. Sugamuxi, presently called Sogamoso, was an important city in the religion of the Muisca who inhabited the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the times be ...

, the last '' iraca'' of the sacred City of the Sun. Suamuxi means "Dwelling of the Sun".Etymology Sogamoso
Excelsio.net. Knowledge about Sugamuxi has been provided by Pedro Simón and the German countess Gertrud von Podewils Dürniz, in her work ''Chigys Mie''.

Geographical limits

Sogamoso limits with the following municipalities:Official website Sogamoso
/ref> * north: Nobsa and Tópaga * east: Tópaga, Monguí and Aquitania – 3030 m * south: Aquitania, Cuítiva and Iza * west: Tibasosa, Firavitoba

Climate

Sogamoso has a

subtropical highland climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring c ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Cfb'') with mild days and cool nights.

History

Before the Spanish conquest, Suamox, as it was called, was ruled by the '' iraca'' of which the last ruler was called

. The city was a place of pilgrimage and the ''iraca'' was both priest and ruler housed in the Sun Temple, a richly ornamented temple honouring

, the Sun god in the

Muisca religion Muisca religion describes the religion of the Muisca people, Muisca who inhabited the central highlands of the Colombian Andes before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca. The Muisca formed a Muisca Confederation, confederation of holy Muisca ruler ...

Conquest and New Kingdom of Granada

Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada y Rivera, also spelled as Ximénez and De Quezada, (; 1509 – 16 February 1579) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador in northern South America, territories currently known as Colombia. He explored the territory n ...

was the

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...

of the

Muisca Confederation The Muisca Confederation was a loose confederation of different Muisca rulers (''zaques'', ''zipas'', ''iraca'', and ''tundama'') in the central Andes, Andean highlands of what is today Colombia before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, Spanis ...

, arriving in Suamox territories (Iraca Valley) in September 1537. Soldiers of De Quesada -according to Spanish chroniclers accidentally- set the Sun Temple on fire. Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita narrates about the march of De Quesada to Suamox, the looting of the city and the fire of the temple of the Sun. Soon after the conquest, the missionaries began the construction of a chapel that would open the way to the first Catholic church of the time, located on the central square. Natural scientist

Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 1769 – 6 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, natural history, naturalist, List of explorers, explorer, and proponent of Romanticism, Romantic philosophy and Romanticism ...

who visited the

New Kingdom of Granada New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

at the beginning of the 19th century, wrote about Sogamoso in his chronicles.

Suamox in Muisca history

Administrative division

According to the political Map – administrative Number 41ª, del Plan of Territorial Classification 1999–2010, in February of the year 2000, the city was conformed by 18 veredas:

Neighbourhoods

Sogamoso is composed of 70 neighbourhoods.Map of the neighbourhoods
/ref>
l. Alamos del sur 2. Álvaro González Santana 3. Angelmar 4. Benjamín Herrera 5. Campoamor 6. Centro 7. Chapinero 8. Chicamocha 9. Colombia 10. El Cortez 11. El Diamante 12. El Durazno 13. El Jardín 14. El Laguito 15. El Nogal 16. El Oriente 17. El Prado 18. El Recreo 19. El Rosario 20. El Sol 21. El Carmen 22. Gustavo Jiménez Jiménez 23. Jorge Eliécer Gaitán 24. José Antonio Galán 25. Juan José Rondón 26. La Castellana 27. La Esmeralda 28. La Florida 29. La Isla 30. La Pradera 31. La Villita 32. Las Acacias 33. Las Américas 34. Los Alisos 35. Los Alpes 36. Los Arrayanes 37. Los Libertadores 38. Los Rosales 39. Los Sauces 40. Lunapark 41. Magdalena 42. Monquirá 43. Enrique Olaya Herrera 44. Prado Norte 45. Rafael Uribe Uribe 46. San Andresito 47. San Cristóbal 48. San Martín 49. San Martín – Centro 50. Santa Ana – Mochacá 51. Santa Bárbara 52. Santa Catalina 53. Santa Helena 54. Santa Inés 55. San Rafael 56. Santa Isabel 57. Santa Marta 58. Siete de Agosto 59. Simón Bolívar 60. Sucre 61. Sugamuxi 62. Universitario 63. Rafael Valdés Tavera 64. Veinte de Julio 65. Venecia 66. Villa Blanca 67. Villa del Sol 68. Asodea 69. Villa del Lago 70. Valdez Tavera

Economy

The economy of Sogamoso is centered around

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, trade, the

steel industry Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high elastic modulus, yield strength, fracture strength and low raw material cost, steel is one of the ...

and construction materials, and in the exploitation of

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

and

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

. During the years 2007 and 2008, the city had a quick development in urban construction.

Transportation

Sogamoso is served by Alberto Lleras Camargo Airport.

Aerocivil The Civil Aviation Authority of Colombia (, also known as ''Aeronáutica Civil'', ''Aerocivil'' or UAEAC) is a government agency of the Colombian Ministry of Transport (Colombia), Ministry of Transport. It is the agency in charge of regulating ci ...

lifted the restriction of air operations in September 2009. Due to the increase of economic relationships with Bogotá and the rest of the region, the government realised the need to build a highway.

Education

As of 2016, Sogamoso has seven universities: * Sogamoso Faculty of Pedagogical and Technological University Of Colombia, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia (UPTC) * Open National University at Distance * University Corporation Remington * Polytechnic Grancolombiano * University of Pamplona * Superior school of Public Administration E.S.A.P. * Sogamoso Faculty of the University of Boyacá

Culture

Sites of interest

The city hosts historical places as: * Archaeology Museum Sogamoso, with a reconstruction of the Sun Temple * Central park * 6 September square * The Pile-Mochacá, from the ancient city "the old Sogamoso" * Morca, where the Virgin Of Morca is venerated * Nearby Lake Tota, largest lake of Colombia and sacred site of the Muisca

Festivals and celebrations

* September 6: Anniversary of the city * July: Festivities of the Sun and of the Steel * Huán Festival, recreation of the indigenous ceremony of the adoration of the Sun * September: International Festival of The Culture * October: Festival of the corn * October: Festival of the mud

Radio stations of Sogamoso

* Rumba Stereo 106.1 FM * Tropicana Stereo 107.3 FM * Sun Stereo 99.1 FM * RCN Basic Radio 1200 AM * Caracol Radio 1090 AM * RCN Antenna 2 1440 AM * 96.1 FM

Notable people

* Lorenzo Alcantuz, chemical engineer * Fabián Ángel, professional footballer * Elkin Barrera, former professional cyclist * Henry Cárdenas, former professional cyclist * Edgar Corredor, former professional cyclist * Camilo Gómez, professional cyclist * Chepe González, former professional cyclist * Luis Alfredo López, former professional cyclist * Fabio Parra, former professional cyclist * Humberto Parra, former professional cyclist * Iván Parra, former professional cyclist * Alfonso Patiño Rosselli, Colombian diplomat * Álvaro Sierra, former professional cyclist * Íkaro Valderrama, Latin-Siberian folk musician

Gallery

File:Vista Panorámica Plaza De La Villa Sogamoso.jpg, Central square File:Plaza De La Villa - Costado Norte - Edificio Intercontinental.jpg, Central square File:Plaza De La Villa - Monumento Al Sol De Espaldas.jpg, Monument to the Sun on the central square File:Monumento al sol.JPG, Monument to the Sun and cathedral File:Monumento al Sol y Catedral San martín Sogamoso.jpg, Cathedral by night File:Morca 03.JPG, Church in the vereda Morcá File:Plaza De Toros La Pradera - Sogamoso.jpg, Bull fighting arena File:Teatro Sogamoso (Sogamoso).jpg, Theatre File:Malokas.jpg, Reconstruction of Muisca houses in the Archaeology Museum File:Templo del sol.jpg, Reconstruction of the Sun Temple

References

External links

*
General information on Sogamoso
{{Authority control Populated places of the Muisca Confederation