Inca kancha

A kancha is a form of Inca architecture consisting of a rectangular or trapezoidal walled enclosure built around a central open courtyard, lined with single-room buildings that face inward onto that shared space. The Quechua word means a patio or courtyard bordered by a wall, and kanchas served as residences, temples or palaces and were used widely across the Inca Empire, with well known examples including the Coricancha sun temple in Cusco and well preserved compounds at Ollantaytambo, some of which remained in use into modern times. A kancha typically had only one entrance gate, which allowed for security and controlled access, and could hold anywhere from two to eight or more single-room structures depending on its size, ranging from small enclosures to compounds as large as a city block; multiple kanchas were often placed side by side to form larger urban blocks. Enclosing walls, particularly in surviving examples at Cusco, display fine stonework, and the Inca valued the open courtyards at the heart of each kancha as spaces for social gatherings and festivals.