The stone work at Saqsaywaman, a UNESCO heritage site, is one of the most impressive in Peru, indeed in South America. The precision of the Incan stone work, the snugness of the fit, together with how the walls were constructed leaning inwards were said to be the reason why they survived the many devastating earthquakes in the area through the centuries. The Spaniards had stripped stones from here to build their houses. What remained were the largest stones that were too huge to move. You can see how huge they are below.
View of the Sacred Valley from the road |
Panoramic view of Cusco |
Our guide showing us the drainage holes built into the structure |
A closer look at the interlocking stone work and the drainage |
The huge boulders sat on stone foundations, built at angles |
Awesome! |
This is supposedly the largest boulder in the complex |
There are three walls in the complex, this is the outside wall. The longest wall reached 400 metres and the average height is about 6 metres |
Look at how one piece of stone was used to round a corner |
Awe-inspiring! |
At the end of our tour, this herd of llamas and alpacas brought us back to a more human scale, even from afar, across the plain of Saqsaywaman... |
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