Arequipa, << `ar` uh KEE pah >> (pop. 969,284), is the commercial center of southern Peru and one of Peru’s largest cities. It lies 8,100 feet (2,470 meters) above sea level in the Andes Mountains. Ancient ruins and American Indian villages around Arequipa attract many tourists. The Spaniards began settlements at Arequipa in 1540. The city has some of the best examples of Spanish colonial architecture in Peru.