In the times of the Incas was called "sun's house" and it was a great religious center of great importance in the local tradition, when the Spanish arrive they thought that it was a fortress because of the position and shape.

It was said that it was a ceremonial center and place for rituals, it has an amphitheater that has 19 windows that were used to worship, there is also maize that leads to the underground galleries.

Pukapukara means red fortress, about this word is because the location of the group and the existence of some semi-circular environment, about the red is because the color of the land. This name was used in this century.

The tradition knows this place as the “Bath of the Ñusta” due to the special circumstance exist two aqueducts that have clean water all year.