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Sacsayhuaman

Archaeological Sites and Ancient Remains

Sacsayhuaman is a walled ceremonial and military complex on a hill overlooking Cusco, Peru, built by the Inca beginning in the fifteenth century from enormous, precisely fitted polygonal limestone blocks, some weighing more than one hundred tons, stacked without mortar so exactly that a knife blade cannot be inserted between many of the joints. Its most striking feature is a set of three parallel zigzagging terrace walls, a design thought to combine defensive strength with religious symbolism. Spanish colonists later dismantled much of the site's upper stonework to build churches and houses in Cusco, and the surviving lower walls remain among the most visited examples of Inca megalithic construction. It forms part of the UNESCO-inscribed City of Cusco World Heritage Site.

Facts
Building Type
Citadel 1
Location
Northern outskirts of Cusco, Peru 1
Classification
Standing Status
Standing 1
Building Type
Building Type (category)
Fort / Fortress 2
Connections

Has Building Type

Fortification, Concepts

In Style

Inca Architecture, Styles and Movements
Source Sacsayhuaman (Wikipedia)

Uses Element

Stone, Architectural Materials
Source Sacsayhuaman (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Located In

Peru

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.

Source Sacsayhuaman (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Sacsayhuaman (Wikipedia)
  • Lead paragraph
    is a citadel on the northern outskirts of the city of Cusco, Peru, the historic capital of the Inca Empire.
  • Lead section
    Sacsayhuamán ( SACK-sy-wuh-mən; Spanish pronunciation: [saksajwaˈman]) or Saksaywaman (from Quechua Saksay waman pukara, pronounced [ˈsaksaj ˈwaman], lit.
  • Wikipedia infobox building_type field
    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
  • Uses Element: Stone, Lead
    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 Style: Inca Architecture, Lead
    The site is an important example of Inca architecture and sits at an altitude of 3,701 metres (12,142 ft).
View the Source
2. Sacsayhuamán (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia "Sacsayhuamán" intro (read live, w-fk-arch-rel2-0927c, R-K)View the Source
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