the inca Fortress

Fortress of Saqsaywaman

Built on a hill west of the city of Cuzco. It bears a Temple of the Sun made of stone.

Its construction involved ten thousands of workers equipped with scarce tools.

It was built during the governments of Tupac Inca Yupanqui, Huayna Capac and Huascar.

It is huge construction based on enormous and heavy, carved stones put together with absolute precision.

It has three levels of platforms with more than 200 meters length each. On the top of the hill, a group of edifications and embankments include three circular buildings.

The central building is the biggest and comprises three concentric walls like rings. In the same sector was the Temple of the Sun and buildings used to deposit weapons, soldier clothes, metals, silver, gold, blankets and war doublets.

In the sector known as "El Rodadero", there are outstanding, carved rocks in the shape of embankments or little altars.

There are also a vestiges of a circular, artificial lagoon built for rituals; diverse aqueducts and subterranean halls-ways, many sides of which are carved with little niches and stairs. And finally, a huge carved stone kown as "La Piedra Cansada" (the tired stone).

The inca Fortress of Saqsaywaman is the contemporary scenario of the principal festivity of Cusco, which is carried out on June 24th., the Inti Raymi, or Festivity of the Sun.