The Wari culture built numerous monuments, and developed terraced fields to support crop cultivation on hillsides hundreds of years before the Inca conquered them and expanded their territory into this area.

Cerro Baúl is the remains of a Wari monumental site, on top of a hill outside of Moquegua.

Tradition holds that the colonial city was founded on 25 November 1541, by Pedro Cansino and his wife Josefina de Bilbao.

[citation needed] The Plaza de Armas, is the Main Square and center of the city.

The Casa del Regidor Perpetuo de la Ciudad, is a house built in the 18th century.

The district of Torata, located 24 km away from the city, has traditional houses with mojinete roofs.