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Sacsayhuaman

One of the most imposing architectural complexes built in Inca times.

DESCRIPTION

Sacsayhuaman was built between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The work lasted more than five decades, being the work of 20,000 men who came together in the form of tribute (mita). All its structures were placed without the need for them to cease to be part of the place where they stand, integrating deeply and harmoniously the then sacred category of the landscape, obtaining a colossal altar to nature.

LOCATION

Sacsayhuaman is an archaeological group located north of the main square of the city of Cusco. To get to Sacsayhuaman you can take a City Tour from any travel agency. You can also get there walking, by cab or using your own vehicle. To get to Sacsayhuaman on foot from the main square, you can walk up Sweden Street through Huaynapata and follow Resbalosa, turn right after the church of San Cristobal and follow the road. Here, you will join the ancient Inca trail to Sacsayhuaman. The climb is steep and takes approximately 30 minutes from the Plaza de Armas.

ATTRACTIONS

The complex itself has important architectural and natural parts, which have their own meanings and histories, such as:

Torreones

They are called Muyuccmarca, Paucarmarca, Sallaqmarca and are located on top of the bastions (zigzag walls). In Inca times they were towers arranged in a straight line at the top of the hill, in this site there was abundant water, today we can still see part of the aqueducts. Muyuccmarca comes from Quechua: "Muyuq" means: round, "Marca": population, for its rediscovered bases it is verified its circular figure, which has three concentric circumferences, all of them inserted in a square of unequal sides. Paucarmarca, to the south side of the Sayaqmarca, is covered with earth, possibly it could be of quadrangular form, etymologically "Pauca" means festive, beautiful, happy, garden and "Marca" population. It is believed that it was dedicated to the stars. Sallaqmarca is next to Muyuccmarca and etymologically comes from "Sallaq" rough, stony and "Marca" population. Currently, there are only the foundations of the towers, the buildings were destroyed in the early days of the colony, its foundations covered with earth; they were later located and recovered by Dr. Luis E. Valcárcel.

Enclosures Group

This group of enclosures is located at the top of the hill, to the south and a short distance from the towers, are beautiful rooms leaning against the hill, overlooking the squares of the Inca city. The rooms themselves have the characteristic of being long and narrow, connected to each other by a series of trapezoidal doors. Their walls are made of irregular polyhedrons, with steep faces and well-polished edges.

The Presidiums

This is the name given to the three platforms that form a jogger of incoming and outgoing formed by walls made of limestone blocks, impressive irregular polyhedrons assembled with utmost perfection. The first Spaniards attributed its construction to demons, even today it is said that extraterrestrials are the ones who made this work. These bastions are considered a world wonder.

The Doors

Located in the central and middle part of the bastions, with trapezoidal shapes, they served as an entrance to the area of the towers. The three gates mentioned are: T'iopunku, Ajawanapunku, Wiracochapunku.

Rodadero or Suchuna

Geologically, it is a natural formation of diorite, of volcanic origin, which emerged modulating on its surface bumps and grooves in the form of slides.

El Trono del Inca o K'usilluc Jink'ian

These words translated correspond to "where the monkey is steep". It is a succession of benches, carved in diorite rock with a deep aesthetic sense, is in the eastern portion of the hill.

Chincanas

There are two, the smaller one next to Warmi K'acchana is short in length and has become a distraction for visitors. The larger one is further north, under a large limestone rock, this passage is flooded, and it is not possible to enter it. According to the geologist Dr. Carlos Kalafatovich, these tunnels, called chincanas, correspond to the undermining by the action of the subway waters that circulated through the caves.

SCHEDULE

Hours from Monday to Sunday: 08:00 to 17:30 hours.
Price: Entrance included in the Tourist Ticket.
Cusco Tourist Ticket for foreign tourists: S/. 130.00 (US$ 36 approx.) allows entry to 16 tourist sites, valid for 10 days.
Cusco Tourist Ticket for National Tourist: S/. 70.00 (US$ 20 approx.) allows the entrance to 16 tourist sites, valid for 10 days.

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