Sacsayhuaman ("satisfied hawk" in Quechua, the Inca language) is a walled complex near the old city of Cusco, in Peru. Some believe the walls were a form of fortification, while others believe it was only used to form the head of the Puma that Sacsayhuaman along with Cusco form. Like all Inca, stonework there is still mystery surrounding how they were constructed.Thanks to a yet unexplained precision in stone cutting, the structure is built in such a way that a single piece of paper will not fit between two stones. This precision, combined with the rounded corners of the limestone blocks, the variety of their interlocking shapes, and the way the walls lean inward (ubiquitous in Inca architecture), is thought to increase the ruins' incredible durability; devastating earthquakes in Cusco have left it undamaged. The Spanish harvested a large quantity of rock from the walls of the structure to build churches in Cusco, which is why the walls are in perfect condition up to a certain height, and missing above that point.Today, the annual Inca festival celebrating the winter solstice and New Year, Inti Raymi, is held near Sacsayhuaman on June 24.
To help with preserving this invaluable archeological monument and world natural and cultural heritage site, we recommend you bear the following in mind:
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After a detailed review of the commentaries and experiences of our passengers, we can recommend the following Cusco tours. We are really sure. you will enjoy as much as them.
Two archeological sites near Cusco that feature some religious architecture. Qenqo is a vast rocky hilltop carved into staircases, holes and channels, probably built to store the chicha (fermented maize beer) used in Inca rituals. The site features a semi-circular patio studded with several large niches surrounding a stone figure embedded within a chamber, rather like an idol inside its own shrine. Tambomachay is another fine example of Inca architecture made up of platforms, niches and fountains which still function today, as water flows down through them from a spring higher up in the hills. In Inca times, this was a sacred site used for worship of the water deity, one of the shrines that made up the Cuzco "ceque", the system of imaginary grid lines that irradiated out to sacred spots or indicated the time and place of the ceremonies.