Sacsayhuamán

Sacsayhuamán ( SACK-sy-wuh-mən; Spanish pronunciation: [saksajwaˈman]) or Saksaywaman (from Quechua Saksay waman pukara, pronounced [ˈsaksaj ˈwaman], lit. 'fortress of the royal falcon or hawk') is a citadel on the northern outskirts of the city of Cusco, Peru, the historic capital of the Inca Empire. The site is an important example of Inca architecture and sits at an altitude of 3,701 metres (12,142 ft).

The Spanish chroniclers recorded that within the Inca's oral history, the fortress was said to be built during the reign of Sapa Inca Pachacuti and his successors, Topa Inca Yupanqui and Huayna Capac. Dry stone walls constructed of huge stones were built on the site, with the workers carefully cutting the boulders to fit them together tightly without mortar.

In 1983, Cusco and Sacsayhuamán together were designated as sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, for international recognition and protection. The archeological site is now a tourist destination.

Description

Located on a steep hill that overlooks the city, the fortified complex has a wide view of the valley to the southeast. Archeological studies of surface collections of pottery at Sacsayhuamán indicate that the earliest occupation of the hilltop dates to about 900 CE.

According to Inca oral history, Túpac Inca

"remembered that his father Pachacuti had called city of Cuzco the lion city. He said that the tail was where the two rivers unite which flow through it, that the body was the great square and the houses round it, and that the head was wanting."The Inca decided the "best head would be to make a fortress on a high plateau to the north of the city."

During the 15th century, the Imperial Inca expanded on this settlement, building dry stone walls constructed of huge stones. Spanish Chronicler Pedro Cieza de León wrote in 1553:

The Inca ordered that the provinces should provide 20,000 men and that the villages should send the necessary provisions.