Sacsayhuaman Ceremonial Temple

Sacsayhuaman (in Quechua Saqsaywaman, from saqsay, place of satiation, and waman, hawk, that is, “Place where the hawk is satiated”) is an Inca “ceremonial fortress” located two kilometers north of the city of Cusco. It began to build during the government of Pachacútec, in century XV; However, it was Huayna Capac who gave the final touch in the sixteenth century. With the annihilation of the Inca nobility disappeared from human memory the techniques that allowed the construction of this monumental fortress or sanctuary; Which produced the admiration of Pizarro and his men. Pedro Sancho, secretary of Pizarro, leaves a first description of the building; But the most detailed is that of the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega (Cronista mestizo). The “ceremonial fortress” of Sacsayhuamán is with its megalithic walls, the greatest architectural work that the Incas did during their apogee. From the fort there is a unique panoramic view of the surroundings, including the city of Cusco.

Inty Raymi’s Feast – June 24

The Inti Raymi Festival is the most important festival in Cusco, held every June 24 of each year.

Inti Raymi (Quechua ‘Feast of the Sun’) was an ancient Andean religious ceremony honoring the Inti (Father Sun), which was held every winter solstice in the Andes.

During the time of the Incas, Inti Raymi was the most important of the four festivals held in Cusco, according to Inca Garcilaso de la Vega (1539-1616), which signified the beginning of a new stage, “circular time (Because they did not conceive of time as linear but as a chronological circle) as well as the mythic origin of the Inca, who was sent by the Sun (as a god of the actions of the populations of the ancient world). Its celebration lasted 15 days, in which there were dances and sacrifices. Sacsayhuaman ceremonial temple.