Islam in Peru Islam in Peru The statistics for Islam in Peru estimate a total Muslim population of 5,000, largely based in the capital of Lima, Peru; a number which has remained static since 1980. Its represents 0.015 % out of total population of 32,555,000 inhabitants. Islam was historically introduced by Spanish Moors, although today's population is almost entirely of Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian origin. In 1560, the Spanish rulers of Peru sentenced Lope de la Pena, described as a "Moor from Guadalajara", to life imprisonment for the crime of "having practiced and spread Islam" in Cuzco and was also required to wear
Trujillo, Peru and others. The Chimu culture built its primary settlement at what is known as Chan Chan, which was the capital, having an estimated 100,000 people at its peak. It is the largest pre-Columbian city built of adobe and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its remains are northwest of the current city center. The present Spanish–Peruvian city of Trujillo was founded in an ancestral territory populated by ancient indigenous civilizations. The Spanish founded new cities expressing their culture in what they called the "Viceroyalty of Peru". The Moche civilization flourished in northern Peru with its Huacas del Sol