North of Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Incas, at an elevation of about 3550 meters above sea level, almost five centuries after the downfall of the Inca empire, the magnificent walls of Sacsayhuaman (Saksaq Waman) still stand – a fortress that continues to amaze archaeologists, historians, and tourists with its dimensions and architectural style.
When the Spanish conquerors first arrived in these areas, they couldn’t comprehend how the “wild” Peruvian people, who were deemed “uneducated and lacking logical reasoning skills,” could have built such a complex. They believed it could be the work of demons and evil spirits. Many people today remain skeptical of the fact that the ancient Incas could have built such a marvel, with some suggesting that extraterrestrials with superior technology were involved, while others propose the idea of giant predecessors of the Incas.
To fully grasp the significance of the Sacsayhuaman fortress, we must consider the context of its surroundings. Specifically, the city of Cuzco was a thriving center of Inca civilization, with its stone-paved streets, intricate irrigation systems, and ornate temples. The Sacsayhuaman fortress was strategically positioned on a hill overlooking Cuzco, serving as a symbol of Inca power and defense. It consisted of massive stone walls, some weighing up to 200 tons, meticulously carved and fitted together without the use of mortar. The craftsmanship and engineering prowess of the Inca civilization are evident in every detail of this architectural masterpiece.
Furthermore, the fortress played a significant role in various Inca festivities and ceremonies, including the Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun), during which the Inca ruler addressed his subjects and performed rituals to honor the sun god. The large open space within the fortress could accommodate thousands of people, showcasing the Inca civilization’s capacity for organizing and hosting grand events.
Today, Sacsayhuaman remains a testament to the ingenuity and cultural richness of the ancient Inca civilization. It stands as a reminder of their remarkable achievements and continues to captivate visitors from around the world who are drawn to its awe-inspiring presence and the enigmatic history it represents. co, the holy city, whose name in the Quechua language means “navel of the world,” was built in the shape of a puma – an animal that the ancient Incas considered sacred. Thus, the puma’s belly was the main city square of Chuquipampa, the nearby Tullumayo river formed its spine, and Sacsayhuaman on the hill – its head. When we look at the entire structure from above, the giant walls of Sacsayhuaman, built on the slope in a zigzag line, resemble the puma’s teeth. All the sanctuaries within the city were carefully arranged according to the positions of the stars, which, along with astonishing architectural skill, demonstrates a profound knowledge of astronomy.
In most archaeological documents related to this structure, we can find information that the construction of the fortress began in 1438 during the reign of the ninth Inca Pachacuteca and was completed in 1508. The remains of the three parallel zigzag walls set on the slope are now the most impressive part of the fortress. It is said that around 25,000 people participated in its construction. Each of these three zigzag walls has a total length of The fortress wall, which is about 400 meters long, consists of 60 smaller connected walls. Limestone blocks were used for construction, with the largest one being over 8 meters tall and weighing 300 tons! To illustrate the impressive size, it is enough to say that an average construction crane, typically used for building large buildings, can lift a load weighing about 3 tons. This means that it would take a hundred such cranes to lift one stone block for the ancient Incas.
What makes the story of Sacsayhuaman’s construction even more intriguing is the fact that within a 30-kilometer radius, no larger limestone deposit has been found from which construction material could be extracted. Moreover, these enormous irregularly shaped stone blocks are stacked so perfectly on top of each other that not even a blade of grass can fit between them. There is no binding agent or plaster between the blocks, and the edges are smooth and finely rounded. There are no decorations or inscriptions, just bare stone.
On top of these walls, three large towers used to stand. Today, only ruins remain from some of them, and the twenty-two-meter diameter foundation of the largest one, Muyuc Marca, depicts how the entire structure must have looked mighty in the past. The remains of the Muyuc Marca tower consist of three concentric circular walls connected by straight walls, so the whole construction slightly resembles a spider’s web. Three channels lead to the central circle, which were probably used to fill the water storage located in the middle. The entire complex contains an incredibly elaborate water supply system, as well as a rainwater collection system.
The other two towers – Paucar Marca and Sallaq Marca – were equally distant from the first, forming an equilateral triangle and, unlike the round Muyuc Marca tower, were square in shape.
Satisfied falcon – guardian of the secret
We can learn most about the actual building from the chronicler of that Incan era, Garcilas de la Vega, the son of a Spanish captain and an Incan princess, the granddaughter of the great ruler Tup. ac Yupanqui. Born in 1539 in Cuzco, he spent the first twenty years of his life with his mother, so he was fluent in both the Quechua and Spanish languages. After his father’s death, he inherited some money and decided to go to Spain for education, where he remained until his death. He wrote the work “Comentarios Reales de los Incas,” based on the stories told to him by his Inca relatives when he was still a child. The book was published in 1609 and consists of two parts: the first tells about the life of the Incas, and the second about the Spanish conquest of Peru. In 1780, when the Inca “Matija Gubec,” Tupac Amaru II, rebelled against the colonial oppressors, the Spanish King Carlos III suppressed it and banned further publication of the book due to its “dangerous” content. It was not printed again until 1918.
In Garcilaso de la Vega’s writings, there is no record of how the walls of Sacsayhuaman (translated as “satisfied falcon”) were built. He wrote: This fortress surpasses the buildings known as the Seven Wonders of the World. miranja Sacsayhuamana. Ovaj nalaz sugerira da je Sacsayhuaman možda bio dio većeg kompleksa građevina koje su izgradili Indijanci, čime se još više izaziva pitanje kako su oni uspjeli izgraditi tako monumentalnu tvrđavu bez sofisticiranog alata i tehnologije. Možda postoji još mnogo tajni koje trebamo otkriti o ovoj drevnoj građevini i sposobnostima njenih graditelja. I am Inka, when the members of the Killke culture (900-1200) were in this area. It is not excluded that the foundations of Sacsayhuamana were also built during that period, but as things stand now, regardless of the different scenarios about its construction, the actual builders of this architectural wonder will likely remain unknown to us forever, as well as its original purpose.
Today, Sacsayhuamana is mostly described as a fortress and observatory because it is built on a site surrounded by steep slopes on three sides, offering an excellent view of the entire Cuzco area. However, these are just speculations. Some authors believe that it was a sanctuary, and that the three walls of the fortress represent the three levels of the Inka’s religious world – the first, lower one is Ukju Pacha (underground), the middle one is Kay Pacha (earthly), and the upper one is Hanan Pacha (heavenly). Adding to that, it is worth mentioning that Sacsayhuamana is directly connected to Coricancha in Cuzco, the main sanctuary dedicated to the supreme Inkan God of the Sun, through a two-kilometer-long underground tunnel. Intiju, we can assume that the entire complex, besides its military role, also had a religious function.
The Beginning of the End
Regardless, historical facts indicate that towards the end of their reign, the Incas used this complex as a fortress and, fighting against the conquerors until the very end, ultimately lost the battle. Spanish conquerors led by Francisco Pizarro entered Cuzco in 1533, overthrowing the then ruler Atahualpa and establishing a dictatorship, killing anyone who refused to acknowledge Spanish authority. Three years later, on May 6, 1536, Inca leader Manco Inca Yupanqui gathered a hundred thousand warriors and started a war against the Spanish. In the battle of Sacsayhuamana, an Inca warrior killed Juan Pizarro, Francisco’s brother, by throwing a massive stone at his head as he was trying to climb the high walls of the fortress. The proud Incas, in the end, succumbed to the powerful enemy, not only because of their superiority, but also because many warriors fell victim to smallpox that was brought The European conquerors wanted to further strengthen their power in Cuzco after the conquest. They continued to destroy the Inca Empire and used the stone blocks from the walls of Sacsayhuaman, which were at least three meters higher than they are today, as building material for their houses and churches. If those stones could speak, we would probably hear stories of incredible plots and twists, and maybe then we would discover the true truth about Sacsayhuaman.