Temples of Cusco. Temple of the Sun in Cusco The most important Inca temple dedicated to the Inca sun god

The ruins of Coricancha (Temple of the Sun), once one of the most significant and majestic temple complexes of the Incas, are located in Peru, in the city of Cusco. The complex was erected in honor of the main gods of the Inca pantheon - the highest god of the sun Inti, the Moon, Venus, the Rainbow, Thunder and the creator god Viracocha. Presumably, Coricancha was built in the middle of the 15th century, under the tenth ruler of the Incas, Tupac Yupanqui, however, Inca mythology mentions a temple built on this site at the beginning of the 12th century. The layout of the site on which the temple complex was located resembled the shape of a sun with diverging rays. The massive walls of the complex were made of rectangular stone blocks cut from granite and andesite. Many door and window openings allowed sunlight into the buildings, which “made” the gold inside the temples shine even brighter. The doors, outer walls of the temples and interiors were covered with gold leaf and precious stones. The main temple of Koricancha, the Temple of the Sun, amazed with its luxury and wealth. The walls and floors were covered with sheets of pure gold (there are reports that there were 700 sheets, each weighing about 2 kg). The temple contained a golden figure of the god Inti, inlaid with precious stones, as well as altars, vases, statues of infants, a giant mask in the form of a solar disk with diverging rays, bracelets, scepters and other items made of pure gold and silver. The Golden Garden was not inferior in its splendor to the interior decoration of the temple. Everything in it was made of gold and silver - a large field of life-size corn, figures of llamas, jaguars, guinea pigs, monkeys, birds, butterflies and other insects. Throughout the garden were placed gold and silver jugs, set with emeralds and rubies. Five other temples were located around the central square of Coricancha. The walls of the temple of the Moon (the wife of the Sun god) were covered with silver plates, which corresponded to the Incas' idea of the nature of this celestial body. In addition, a repository for the mummified remains of former Inca emperors and their wives, living quarters for priests, a treasury and a treasury were built in Coricancha. On the territory of the complex there were five fountains that were used for ritual ceremonies, and an underground canal through which sacred water flowed outside the Qorikancha on the days of great holidays. All this splendor was destroyed and plundered by the Spanish conquerors, gold items were melted down into bars for the treasury of the Spanish crown, and the cathedral and monastery of Santo Domingo were built on the ruins of the Temple of the Sun in 1650. A strong earthquake in 1950 damaged the cathedral, resulting in the discovery of the ruins of a temple to the god Inti. The remains of its stone walls made of monolithic blocks are all that remains of the former greatness of Coricancha.

Coricancha, Inti kancha, Inti temple, Golden Temple - a symbolic building of the Incas, who dedicated it to the main deity of their pantheon - the Sun. The reports of the conquistadors contain some information about this temple: “an incredibly fabulous, shining palace”, completely covered with gold leaf; with gold and silver statues depicting life-size animals and plants. In the center of the temple is an altar in the form of a huge golden disk. There are hundreds of golden panels and figures throughout the area.

The luxurious Coricancha Temple was built in 1438. About four thousand priests once lived within its boundaries. The temple was also the first astronomical observatory.

Having conquered the city, the Spaniards plundered the sacred gold. And the Santo Domingo Monastery was built on well-built stone walls. When a strong earthquake (1950) significantly damaged the building of the monastery, separate fragments of the Inca temple were discovered. These are tightly fitted stone blocks of enormous size. Complex masonry did not allow these remains of the Koricancha temple to sink into oblivion.

What is interesting about the complex today?

The Inca stonework is the main attraction of the complex. When a major reconstruction was carried out, a significant part of the monastery was removed. As a result, four original halls of the Inca temple were opened.

Modern people are amazed by the precise symmetry of the holes in the stone slabs, perfectly matched to one another, the earthquake-resistant masonry, and the exquisite carvings. Not far from the Santo Domingo Monastery there is an underground archaeological museum. It displays mummies found during excavations, statues of sacred idols, and textiles.

Entry to the temple and monastery complex costs about two dollars for adults, and about a dollar for students. It works daily from half past eight in the morning until half past five in the evening. And you can live in one of the

The Inca civilization arose in the highlands of Peru in the early 13th century. Beginning in 1438, ancient tribes began to conquer the lands around the Incan heartland of Cusco, creating the largest empire in pre-Columbian America.

The arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1532 marked the end of the short-lived Inca Empire. There are almost no traces of this civilization left, since the conquistadors destroyed and plundered everything they could. But you can still get some insight into how the Incas lived and did, thanks to amazing ancient ruins discovered in the mountains of South America.

Inca ruins - PHOTO.

1. Moray, Peru

The ancient city of Moray can be called the agricultural laboratory of the Incas. It is worth noting here several circular terraces, which were probably used to study the effects of different climatic conditions on crops. Some artificial craters are up to 30 meters deep and have a special orientation in relation to the sun and wind, which creates a temperature difference of up to 15 °C between the upper and lower terraces.

2. Wiñay Wayna, Peru

The Inca city of Huinay Huayna is built on a hillside overlooking the Urubamba River. It is located on the Inca Trail, and may have served as a stopover for weary travelers on their way to the famous city of Machu Picchu. The ruins of Winyay Huayna consist of an upper and lower complex of buildings connected by a structure of stairs and fountains. Next to the houses there are areas of agricultural terraces.

3. Coricancha, Peru

The Coricancha Temple is located in the city of Cusco. Originally called Inti Kancha, which literally means "Temple of the Sun", it was the most important temple of the Inca Empire. Its walls and floors were once covered with sheets of pure gold, and the courtyard was filled with golden statues. Like many other Inca monuments, the temple was badly damaged by the conquistadors, who later built the Christian Cathedral of Santo Domingo on its ruins. Strong earthquakes damaged the church and exposed the walls of the Incan temple, built from huge, tightly interlocking stone blocks that are still standing thanks to the intricate Inca stonework.

The ruins are located along the Inca Trail at an altitude of 2840 meters above sea level. In Quechua, the name can be interpreted as "High City". It was probably used for the production and storage of crops. Llactapata was burned by the Inca Emperor Manco Inca Yupanqui during his retreat to discourage Spanish pursuit. Thanks in part to these efforts, the Spaniards did not discover traces of the Incas and some other ancient cities.

5. Isla del Sol, Bolivia

Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) is a rocky, hilly island located in the southern part of modern Bolivia. According to the Inca religion, this was the first land that appeared after the flood waters began to recede and the sun appeared over the island to illuminate the sky once again. In honor of the birth of the Sun God, the Incas built several sacred places on the island. In particular, the Sacred Labyrinth called Chicana, the complexes of Casa Pata and Pilco Kaima.

6. Sacsayhuaman, Peru

Sacsayhuaman is a ceremonial complex built like a stone wall high above the city of Cusco. The imperial city of Cusco was founded in the shape of a puma, an animal that symbolizes the Inca dynasty. The puma's belly represented the main square, the Tullumayo River represented the spine, and Sacsayhuaman Hill represented the head. The hill has three parallel rows of walls built from huge stones. It is assumed that the zigzag walls represent the teeth on the puma's head.

7. Pisac, Peru

Pisac is a Quechua word meaning "partridge". The Inca tradition dictated the construction of cities in the shape of animals and birds, thus Pisac is a city built in the shape of a partridge. The Inca ruins include military fortresses, religious temples and individual residences overlooking the Sacred Valley, located between the Salkantay Mountains. Pisac is believed to have protected the southern entrance to the valley and controlled the routes linking the Inca Empire to the rainforest frontier.

8. Choquequirao, Peru

The ruins of Choquequirao are located at an altitude of 3085 meters above sea level on the border of the regions of Cusco and Apurimac. The ancient city consists of several administrative buildings, a city square, commoners' quarters and a large number of terraces. In its architecture and layout, Choquequirao is very similar to Machu Picchu. But it is visited much less often; you can only get here on foot or on horseback, the journey takes up to four days.

9. Ollantaytambo, Peru

During the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal residence of Emperor Pachacuti, who conquered the region and built a city and ceremonial center there. During the Spanish conquest, the city served as a fortress for the Inca resistance. Today, the ruins of Ollantaytambo are an important tourist destination and one of the most common starting points for hiking the Inca Trail.

The most beautiful and impressive ancient Incan ruins were rediscovered in 1911 by Hawaiian historian Hiram Bingham. The ancient city was hidden for centuries high in the mountains above the Urubamba River valley. The Lost City of the Incas, invisible from below and completely self-contained, surrounded by agricultural terraces irrigated by natural springs, has been Peru's most important tourist attraction for over a century.

Coricancha(Quechua Qorikancha - “Golden Temple”) - a temple complex originally built in pre-Inca times; its ruins are located in the city center (Spanish: Cusco). Sacred buildings were actively used. Main Temple was the most important sanctuary of the ancient Empire. It was dedicated to the highest deity of the Incas (the sun god Inti) and was called “Intikancha” (literally from Quechua “Temple of the Sun”). In that era, the interior of the sacred structure was decorated with gold plates, and the courtyard of the complex was decorated with golden statues. When the Spaniards captured Atahualpu(Spanish: Atahualpa Yupanqui; 1497-1533) and the last supreme Inca offered a fabulous ransom for himself in gold and silver, most of the gold was delivered to the invaders precisely from Coricancha.

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After the invasion of the conquistadors, the temple complex was looted and destroyed.

In 1650, the Spaniards built over the old foundation and remains of the walls Cathedral of St. Dominic(Spanish: Catedral de Santo Domingo). The remaining four rooms of the complex housed a monastery.

As a result of a strong earthquake in 1950, the Cathedral was severely damaged; today the ruins are under state protection and are a national historical landmark.

History of birth and death

The luxurious complex was built in 1438. Under the Incas, the unique Coricancha ensemble consisted of 5 temple buildings located around a central square and a garden, enclosed by a wall made of cut stone and decorated with a palm-width gold ribbon. In addition, Coricancha had a special repository for the mummified remains of the Inca emperors and their wives, living quarters for priests, and a treasury. The complex was once inhabited by approx. 4 thousand priests. Besides, Coricancha Temple under the Incas it was an astronomical observatory. The reports of the Spanish conquistadors say this about it: “a fabulous, luxurious palace, covered inside with gold leaf.”

The site on which the temple complex was located was laid out in the shape of a sun with diverging rays. The massive walls of the buildings were made of massive stone blocks hewn from granite and andesite. The outer walls, doors and interior of the sanctuaries were decorated with gold leaf and richly decorated with precious stones. The sun's rays penetrating into the premises through numerous door and window openings “made” precious metals and stones shine dazzlingly. The main sanctuary of Koricancha was especially striking in its luxury and wealth: its walls and floors were covered with sheets of pure gold (according to available information, there were 700 such sheets, each weighing about 2 kg). In the center of the Temple there was a luxurious altar and a Golden disk of the Sun God with diverging rays, decorated with large emeralds.

Also in the Temple was a golden figure of Inti, studded with precious stones. As well as numerous statues, vases, scepters and other products cast from pure gold and silver. Only the highest clergy and the Supreme Inca were allowed inside the Temple of the Sun.

Walls Temple of the Moon(the Inti couple) were lined with silver plates. The interior decoration of the sanctuaries was not inferior in splendor to the area - the garden Intipampa(Quechua Intipampa - “Sunny Field”), in which everything was made life-size from gold and silver: a large “corn field”, fruit trees, hundreds of figures of fabulous birds and various animals (llamas, jaguars, monkeys, guinea pigs, snakes , lizards). Golden butterflies “fluttered” on thin golden threads, and the stone walls were entwined with golden vines. Gold and silver jugs inlaid with gems were placed throughout the garden.

The territory of the complex was decorated with 5 fountains, which were used for religious ceremonies. There was also an underground channel through which, on the days of great church holidays, sacred water flowed beyond the borders of Qorikancha. Also during the time of the Incas, there was a small room in the garden in which stood a golden statue of Punchao, the size of a 10-year-old child. Every evening, a statue representing the Sun was brought to the central square for ritual worship.

All this luxury aroused the admiration of visitors. The rumor about the greatness and fabulous wealth of Coricancha spread in waves throughout the world.

But all this fantastic splendor was destroyed and plundered by the Spanish conquerors. The precious items of the Incas were melted down, and gold and silver bars filled the coffers of the Spanish crown. Although after the invasion of the conquistadors, most of the valuables were taken by the Indians themselves to (Quechua Vilcabamba) for the ransom of the Supreme Inca.

On the monumental foundations and remains of the stone walls of the Temple of the Sun in 1650, the Spaniards erected a Catholic Cathedral of Santo Domingo(Spanish: Catedral de Santo Domingo) and a monastery. Spanish builders mercilessly plastered and painted over everything related to Inca architecture. A devastating earthquake that occurred in 1950 damaged the Cathedral, as a result of which fragments of the ancient masonry of the Inti Temple were discovered.

Purpose of the complex

In Coricancha, the Incas held their main ritual festival - Winter Solstice Day. The most important events of the year were also celebrated here - the beginning of sowing and harvest, the initiation of young men into warriors. In the Temple of Inti they worshiped not only the Sun, but also the Moon, Venus, the Pleiades and other constellations, as well as Illape(Quechua Illapa - “Dawn”) and Kunchu(Quechua Cuichu - “Rainbow”).

It is impossible not to mention another sacred feature of the temple complex: the main square of Intipampa was the starting point for “Seques” - ephemeral lines that connected the Temple of Inti with the spirits of Apus (Quechua Apus). Even the supreme Incas bowed before the sacred spirits who lived in the mountains. "Mystical lines" also connected the Temple with all the main points of the Cusco landscape. To date, experts have identified about 330 ancient “sekia”.

Main attraction of Coricancha

Yet the most amazing thing about the Inca complex was not the abundance of gold and precious stones, but the unique stonework. The exquisite craftsmanship of joining huge polygonal blocks, which the builders fit perfectly together without the use of a fastening mortar, is amazing. Inca structures withstood the most powerful earthquakes. It is significant that the Cathedral of Saint Domingo, erected on ancient walls, was destroyed twice and had to be rebuilt. At the same time, the ancient foundation of the Temple remained unshakable.

Archaeologists believe that the sacred Inca buildings are about 3 thousand years old. During the major reconstruction of the complex, 4 original premises were “opened”.

Restoration work is still underway. Already now you can see the “Temple of Thunder”, “Temple of the Rainbow”, and the hall for making sacrifices. Visitors are amazed by the clear symmetry of the holes in the perfectly fitted stone slabs, the unique masonry, and the filigree carvings.

Not far from the Santo Domingo Monastery there is now an underground archaeological museum. It displays mummies found during excavations, sacred idols, and textiles. Here you can see many interesting stone products, the perfection of processing of which is amazing, especially considering that the Incas did not have drilling machines or other special equipment.

Curious facts

Under the Incas, Coricancha sparkled dazzlingly in the sun and was visible from afar.
The temple complex was erected in honor of the main gods of the Inca pantheon: Inti (the highest deity of the Sun), the Moon, Venus, the Rainbow, Thunder and the creator god Viracocha (Quechua Wiraqucha).
It was allowed to enter the courtyard of the temple complex only barefoot, on an empty stomach and with a heavy bag on your back containing some kind of cargo - a sign of humility.
Ancient builders managed to filigree fit huge stone blocks with amazing precision and at a certain angle. Japanese scientists have calculated the most earthquake-resistant angle of the building, which is 7 degrees. Incredibly, the stone blocks of the Inca Temple of the Sun were mounted at exactly this angle!
Inca stone blocks have different sizes and shapes, but fit together with fantastic precision.
Interestingly, the door and window openings in the Temple are trapezoidal in shape.
There are 3 holes in the wall of the Sun Temple, presumably rain holes. If you knock inside these holes, you can hear the notes: D, A, E.
The conquistadors, madly in love with gold, describing the fabulous decoration of Coricancha, called it “wealth beyond belief.”
It is believed that the Indians gave some of the jewelry to the Spaniards as ransom for Atahualpa. But there is a legend that most of the ritual gold of the Inti Temple of the Incas was hidden in the mountain caves of the Vilcabamba ridge, between the rivers

Cusco was the capital of the great Inca Empire for 200 years, but excavations show that people lived in this area as early as 3,000 years ago.

The Incas divided the territory of their empireTahuantisuyu (in Quechua) Tawantin Suyu, Tawantinsuyu , Tawantinsuyu, Tawantinsuyu, means “four cardinal directions connected together”)into 4 parts, in the center of which was their capital - Cusco. They did not know other countries, did not sail overseas, their land for them represented the whole world, and Cuzco was the center of this world. This explains one of the versions of the meaning of the city’s name, which can be translated from Quechua as “Center of the World, Navel of the Earth.” According to another version, the name of the city is translated as “Place of Ashes” - that is, the place where ritual sacrifices are performed. It was in Cusco during the time of the Incas that all the main temples were located and the most significant religious ceremonies also took place here.

How the Spanish conquistadors saw Cusco when they arrived here in 1533

It was a prosperous city with magnificent temples, squares and rich houses of members of the royal family, close associates and other nobility. The Saphi River crossed the central square and divided the city into 2 parts: Upper (Hanan) and Lower (Urin) Cusco. The layout of Cusco repeated the silhouette of one of the sacred animals - the puma. The head of the puma was the Saqsaywaman district, located above the level of the rest of the city.

Having settled in Cusco, the conquerors changed the appearance of the city, turning Inca buildings into their mansions. Spanish houses were built on the foundations of previous buildings; the conquistadors took stones for their temples by dismantling the masonry of Inca buildings. In Cusco, a unique “mestizo” style was formed - a mixture of Andean and Spanish motifs - which we can observe today not only in architecture, but also in culture as a whole.

History of Cusco

According to Inca legend, the founder of the city was the first Inca Manko Qhapaq. According to one version, he left Lake Titicaca with his wife named Mama Oilya and went north to look for a place where his golden staff would easily enter the ground. Where he stuck the staff, the city of Cusco appeared.According to another versionfour brothers and their four sister-wivesappeared from a cave on one of the islands of Lake Titicaca. One of the brothers was Manco Capac, who founded Cuzco and began the Inca Empire.

The history of the Great Empire of Tahuantisuyu began in Cuzco, and here it ended. This happened in 1572, when the Spanish conquistadors beheaded the last representative of the Inca rulers, Inca Thupaq Amaru, in the main square of the city.

TOP 11 attractions of Cusco - what to see in the city and surrounding Cusco

Cusco is the main tourist city of Peru. It is from here that the most famous and interesting ones begin, from here it starts, and much more.

In addition, there are a lot of interesting museums in Cusco.

1. Museum of the Incas (Museo Inca)

This museum is also called the Archaeological Museum of Cusco, as it houses artifacts that trace the history of Peru from the pre-Incan civilizations, the Great Empire and the colonial period.

The building in which the museum is located was built on the site of an Inca palace at the beginning of the 17th century and belonged to Admiral Francisco Aldrete Maldonado.

The museum is open daily.

Museum address: 103 Cuesta del Almirante, Cusco, Peru

2. Qoricancha Temple

During the time of the Incas, the Coricancha (Quechua for “Golden Fence”) was the richest temple. It was built in honor of the Sun God Inti, so its walls were lined with gold plates inlaid with precious stones. It was here that the mummies of noble Incas were kept and used during religious ceremonies.After the conquest, the Spanish built the Church of Santo Domingo on the ruins of the Temple of the Sun, but fortunately, some parts of the original temple have survived and can still be seen today.

The museum is open daily.

Museum address: Plaza Intipampa (between Av.El Sol and Calle Santo Domingo), Cusco, Peru

3. Coca Museum (Museo de la Coca)

Coca leaves were of great importance during the Inca Empire and continue to be an important element of Andean culture today. In this museum you can learn the history and meaning of coca, its uses and much more.

Museum address: Calle Suytuccatu 705, San Blas, Cusco, Peru

4. Cusco Planetarium

The altitude of 3350 meters above sea level, at which Cusco is located, brings this city closer to the sky and the Gods. The stars played a huge role in the development of all great civilizations, and the Inca Empire was no exception.“Planetarium” is a company that organizes evening excursions to a place where you can watch the stars. They will tell you about the astronomy of the Incas, the most important constellations for them, how the life of the inhabitants was connected with the movement of the stars, etc.

Tours run daily, but advance reservations are required.

Planetarium website:http://www.planetariumcusco.com/

5. Chocolate Museum (Choco Museo)

Peru is a producer and exporter of cocoa beans. In 2010, at the main chocolate exhibition in Paris (Salon du Chocolat), cocoa beans from Peru were recognized as the most aromatic and received a prize.

At the Chocolate Museum in Cusco, everyone will be told about the chocolate production process and offered to taste chocolate bars and hot chocolate. The museum conducts master classes on making chocolate and organizes trips to cocoa plantations.

Museum website: http://www.chocomuseo.com/english/our-locations/cusco-per/

6. Central Market of San Pedro (Mercado Central de San Pedro)

This market is definitely worth a visit! Here you can spend the whole day wandering between stalls with imaginable and unimaginable goods: souvenirs, alpaca sweaters, colored scarves, fresh fruits and vegetables, dozens of types of corn and potatoes, coffee, chocolate, cheese, bread, coca leaves weighed out of huge bags , ingredients for traditional medicine - frogs that increase potency and various dried insects. And if the walk tires you, you can refresh your strength with juice, which will be squeezed right in front of you. Locals also come to San Pedro for lunch: traditional Peruvian dishes are prepared here and are quite inexpensive.

The market opens at 5.30 am and runs until 5.30 pm.

Neighborhoods of Cusco

7. Archaeological Park of Sacsayhuaman (Saqsaywaman, Sacsayhuaman)

The ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Quenco, Tambomachay and Puca Pucara make up the Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park.

Sacsayuman, located on a mountain above the main areas of Cusco, was part of the city during Inca times. And while Cuzco itself was designed in the shape of a puma silhouette, Sacsayuman served as the head of the puma. Various sources disagree about the purpose of this area. For many years it was believed that there was a military fortification here. But modern researchers adhere to the version that it was a residential area with rich houses of the nobility, temples and squares where religious ceremonies were held.

Even though the Spaniards dismantled the buildings and took stones to build their churches, the ruins of this area are still amazing today! The walls are 6-9 meters high, consisting of stone blocks that fit perfectly together, each of which weighs from 128 to 200 tons! It is believed that about 20,000 people were involved in the construction of this architectural complex.

It is here that the Inti Raymi holiday, a festival dedicated to the Sun God, is celebrated annually on June 24th.

Kenko (Kenko, Quenco, Q"inqu)

Located 3 km from Cusco towards the Sacred Valley. In the Quechua language, the name of this place means “serpentine, winding” - perhaps this name is associated with the serpentine water channels. Made in the form of an amphitheater, Kenko could have been both an altar and a tribune - the exact purpose is unknown. Here, as in a number of other sacred places, there is an observatory for observing the stars and tracking the equinox.

Tambomachay

The name Tambomachay means “resting place” in the Quechua language. A “water resort” was built for the Supreme Inca 5-6 kilometers from Cusco. Tambomachay was dedicated to the cult of water; magnificent canals, aqueducts, and cascades were created here. Excellent engineering skills allowed the builders to create 2 cascades, from which water flows at the same speed - if you put 2 bottles under them, they will fill at the same time.

8. Statue of Christ (Cristo Blanco)

The statue of Christ is installed on a hill above Cusco, near Sacsayhuaman. It was given to Cusco in 1945 by the Palestinians as a sign of gratitude for the fact that Cusco served as a refuge for them during World War II.

9.

The name Tipon is a corruption of the Quechua word T’impuy, which means “where the water boils.” The place was named so due to the large number of underground springs.Researchers believe that the construction was completed during the reign of the Inca Viracocha, but judging by the architectural style and characteristics of the buildings, Tipon is closer to the period of the Inca Pachacutec.

Tipon was an agricultural research center. The geometric correctness in the construction of the terraces is striking. Excellent irrigation canals are still in operation, and this is a significant achievement of the Incas - even modern Peruvians do not know how to solve water problems so well.

Between harvests, festive ceremonies took place on the terraces.

10.

About 30 kilometers southeast of Cusco are the ruins of Pikilyakta. The name of the city is translated from the Quechua language as “city of fleas.” Most likely, the name is a humorous metaphor for the relatively small size of this place - "a tiny (flea-sized) city." However, Pikilyakta was a very important cultural and administrative center of the pre-Inca Wari culture in the 6th - 9th centuries AD.

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