Sacsayhuaman

Visitors to this magnificent Inca Fortress cannot fail to be impressed by the beauty and monumental scale of this important construction. Sacsayhuaman can be variously translated as ´speckled falcon´ or ´speckled head´. The last interpretation refers to the belief that the city of Cusco was set out in the form of a puma whose head was the hill of Sacsayhuamán. The Plaza de Armas was at the heart of the puma.

The main ramparts consist of three massive parallel walls zigzagging together for some 400m, designed to make any attacker expose his flanks. The massive blocks, the largest being 8.5m high and weighing nearly 300 tons, are fitted together with absolute perfection. The foundations are made of Yucay limestone brought from over 15km away. The outer walls are made from massive diorite blocks from nearby, and the inner buildings and towers are made from dark andesite, some of it brought from over 35km away. With only natural fiber ropes, stone hammers and bronze chisels the construction must have been an enormous task. The chronicler Cieza de Leon, writing in the 1550´s, wrote that some 20,000 men were involved in the construction of Sacsayhuamán: 4,000 men cutting blocks from the quarries; 6,000 dragging them on rollers to the site; and another 10,000 working on finishing and fitting them into position. According to the legend, some 3,000 lives were lost when a huge stone that was being dragged uphill broke free.

The four ruins

Qenko
Inca cosmological belief held large rocky outcrops in reverence, as if they possessed some hidden spiritual force. Q´enko is one of the finest examples of an artfully carved rock and an excellent example of how the Incas worshipped. This large limestone rock shows complex patterns of steps, seats, geometric shapes and a puma design. The name of this small but fascinating ruin means 'zigzag' because it is covered with zigzagging channels. These channels were used for the ritual sacrifice of chicha (local corn beer) or llama blood. Inside the rock are large niches and a possible altar. This may have been a place where the mummies of lesser royalty were kept along with gold and other precious objects.

Puca Pucara (Red Fort)
Situated on a hill with a superb view over the surrounding countryside, Puca Pucara was more likely a tambo, or kind of rest house than an actual fortress. Travelers may have lodged here with their goods and animals before entering, or after leaving Cusco. An alternative theory is that it served as a guard post that controlled the flow of people between Cusco and the Sacred Valley.

Tambo Machay
This small ruin consists of beautifully constructed ceremonial stone bath and is therefore often called 'El baño del Inca'. It was a site for ritual bathing. The excellent quality of stonework suggests that its' use was restricted to the aristocracy, who maybe only used the baths on ceremonial occasions. The ruins basically consist of 3 tiered platforms. The top platform has four niches that probably were used as seats. On the next level an underground spring emerges directly from a hole to the base of the stonework. From here it cascades down to the bottom platform, creating a cold shower that was just high enough for an Inca to stand under.

To visit these sites, you will need to buy a Tourist Ticket (the Boleto Turistico).

Kenko, Q'enqo

Templo de la Luna

Tambo Machay

APUS PERU Adventure Travel Specialists - Email: apusperu@westnet.com.au

© A.Svenson 2005. The design, content and photographs (except where noted) are 100% original. The majority of our treks were designed by Apus Peru.