SURROUNDINGS

An immense theatre entirely built of stones weighing 100 tons and perfectly assembled. This was the fortress of Sacsayhuamán, where the Incas performed sacred rites and held festivals. This fortress also served for refuge in cases of emergency thanks to the imposing walls which protected it.

At the present the most traditional Cusco festival, called IntiRaymi, takes place here.

Located 3 km from the city of Cusco, it seems to have been a ceremonial centre. Qenqo means labyrinth or zigzag. It possesses an amphitheatre with 19 niches, and there is an entrance in the form of a labyrinth which leads to underground galleries. There are statues in the upper part, where rituals are thought to have taken place.

Located 6 km from city of Cusco, the name means fortress or red watchtower. It is located at an elevation which makes it possible to see the road to Antisuyo. It is thought to have functioned as a lookout position, as well as being an administrative and military centre.

This was an important religious centre for the adoration of water. This ruin, located 7 km from the city of Cusco, is made up of walls, and channels for water, ending at a slope from which crystal clear water flows. You find it at a height of 3,700 meters and it is known as the baths of the Incas.

This beautiful ruin of agriculture terraces and channels carved in stone is located around 20 km south of the city. It seems that Tipon was part of the country property of the Inca Yawar Waka and, at the same time, a place for religious worship and agricultural experiment. Of special interest here is the harmony achieved in channelling the water through fine stone structures, including aqueducts, some of them underground, and with waterfalls conduits.