🪨 Sacsayhuamán

About This Sacred Site

Sacsayhuamán is a monumental Inca citadel overlooking the city of Cusco, built with enormous limestone blocks weighing up to 200 tonnes that fit together so precisely a sheet of paper cannot be inserted between them. The zigzag walls extend over 600 meters and were constructed without mortar, wheels, or iron tools. The Incas considered the site sacred, and it served as both a ceremonial center and a fortress. Each June, the Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun), the most important Inca ceremony, is reenacted here, drawing tens of thousands of visitors.

Key Facts

• •The largest stones weigh over 200 tonnes and are fitted without mortar
• •An estimated 20,000 laborers worked for over 60 years to build it
• •The zigzag walls extend over 600 meters in three tiers
• •Hosts the annual Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun) ceremony each June 24
• •The Spanish dismantled much of the site to build colonial Cusco

Location

Coordinates: -13.5085, -71.9822