Attraction
Qorikancha (Coricancha and Santo Domingo)
The Inca Empire's most important temple, dedicated to the sun god Inti, with fine stone rooms surviving inside the Dominican church and convent of Santo Domingo.
Sacsayhuamán
The great Inca complex on the hill above Cusco, famed for zigzag terrace walls of huge, precisely fitted stones and a plaza still used for Inti Raymi.
At a glance
- Type
- Inca archaeological site
- Area
- Sacsayhuamán Archaeological Park, Cusco, Peru
Good to know
- Open-air site
- Great plaza
- Viewpoint over Cusco
Why we recommend it
Sacsayhuamán is the reason many people climb the hill behind the Plaza de Armas on their first day in Cusco. It sits on a steep rise on the northern edge of the city at about 3,701 metres, looking down over the red roofs and out across the valley to the south-east. Pottery finds suggest the hilltop was first occupied around 900 CE, and some archaeologists link the earliest building here to the Killke period, before the Inca. Spanish chroniclers recorded Inca oral history that credits the great works to Pachacuti, Topa Inca Yupanqui and Huayna Capac.
What you come to see are the three huge terrace walls that zigzag along one side of a wide grassy plaza. The longest runs for about 400 metres and stands roughly six metres high. The stones were cut and fitted without mortar, so tightly that a sheet of paper will not slip between many of them, and the walls lean slightly inwards with rounded corners, which may help explain how they have survived centuries of earthquakes. The largest limestone block is estimated at well over 100 tonnes. The chronicler Pedro Cieza de León described thousands of labourers quarrying and hauling stone for the project.
Much of what once stood here has gone. After the siege of Cusco the Spanish took the complex apart block by block to build the colonial city, so many of the churches and mansions you pass in the centre contain stone from this hill. Look out, too, for the rougher upper retaining walls added in modern times for erosion control; they are absent from early 20th-century photographs and are easy to tell apart from the Inca masonry below.
The site is still a working ceremonial space. Inti Raymi, the Inca festival of the winter solstice and new year, is staged here on 24 June, and the Warachikuy festival is held on the third Sunday of September. On ordinary days you may see local people jogging or practising tai chi on the great field.
Cusco and Sacsayhuamán were inscribed together on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983, and the site is protected as a national archaeological park. Because of the altitude, walk up slowly if you have only just arrived, and bring water, sun protection and a layer for the wind. The upper part of the site gives one of the best views over the city, and it combines naturally with a visit to the Coricancha in the centre, the other great survivor of Inca Cusco.
Sacsayhuamán FAQs
Where is Sacsayhuamán?
On a steep hill on the northern outskirts of Cusco, above the historic centre and the Plaza de Armas.
How high is Sacsayhuamán?
The site stands at about 3,701 metres above sea level, so take the climb slowly if you have just arrived.
Who built Sacsayhuamán?
Inca oral history recorded by Spanish chroniclers credits Pachacuti, Topa Inca Yupanqui and Huayna Capac, and the hill may have been built on before the Inca.
How big are the stones?
The largest limestone block is estimated at more than 100 tonnes, and the longest terrace wall runs for about 400 metres.
When is Inti Raymi held at Sacsayhuamán?
Inti Raymi, the Inca festival of the winter solstice, is held near Sacsayhuamán on 24 June each year.
Why is so much of the site missing?
After the siege of Cusco the Spanish dismantled much of the complex and reused the stone to build colonial Cusco.
Is Sacsayhuamán a World Heritage Site?
Yes, it was inscribed with the city of Cusco on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983.
What else is nearby?
The historic centre of Cusco lies just below, with the Coricancha, the Cathedral and the Plaza de Armas within walking distance.