Saksaywaman

The ruins of the Inca fortress Saksaywaman ( Quechua, emphasis on the penultimate syllable), today Spanish Sacsayhuaman, is one of the main attractions from the Inca period and is in close vicinity of the Peruvian city of Cuzco. It lies about 3 km above the city center. Probably this system should protect the most vulnerable access to the city. In fact, hundreds of warriors entrenched themselves during the Spanish conquest behind their walls. The plant was thereby partially destroyed later haunted also by earthquakes, so that today only about a third of it is preserved. Sacsayhuaman should also serve for representative purposes and demonstrate the power and performance of the Incas. However, argue against an interpretation as a defense types that indicate most likely to sanctuaries, such as niche spaces, circular arenas of about 100 m in diameter and extended stairs in solitary boulders.

Name

The name in Quechua means Saksaywaman ( Qusqu - Qullaw ) " saturated Falcon " where saksay " saturate " and waman " hawk" means. However, the Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua ( AMLQ ) interprets the name as Sacsayhuaman, " tense hawk" ( saqsa, " tense, crimped " ) or " hawk with curly head " Saqsaywaman is a very common Quechua - sensitive, but the verb saksay in Cusco Quechua often written saqsay because k and q in the Quechua version at end of a syllable by Frikativierung as [x ] or [ χ ], are used in many areas but the same spoken and so Saqsaywaman despite these letters as " saturated hawk" or " Satisfy you, Hawk! " ( Saksay / Saqsay, Waman! ) is translated.

Saksaywaman has been interpreted as Puma head because this place, seen from the air, the shape of a puma head, said the streets of the old Cusco form its body. Due to this even is a name declaration Saqsauma " marbled head " from saqsa ( " marbled " ) and uma ( " head") was designed.

As a builder of the Inca Pachacutec Yupanqui site Túpac Yupanqui and apply. During the 70 - year construction period in the second half of the 15th century should have worked, according to Pedro Cieza de León 20,000 people.

Construction

The most important " line of defense " consists of three cyclopean, built in terraces one above the other zigzag walls. You are 600 m long. The lower wall is 9 m, 10 m, the mean and the upper 5 m high. For construction of the wall huge stones were transported from quarries 20 km away zoom and then machined to fit seamlessly together. The largest stone is 9 m high, 5 m wide, 4 m thick, and weighs over 200 tons. It is not clear how the Incas transported the stones, as they knew neither wheel nor role. They used special stone tools, which even hard granite did not stand up for processing.

Above are the remains of two square towers and a round tower to see the Muya Marca. They are interconnected by underground passages. The terraces are intersected by canals for water supply and for drainage of rain water. Behind the walls is a great place on the still annually on 24 June, the Sun Festival ( Inti Raymi ) is celebrated, which also visited the President.

In the rear of the property there is a circular space, recessed created and supported by a head-high wall ring. In addition, there is a short narrow tunnel, which can only be passed by a single person, as well as various ruins and a natural " slide " in the rock.

Stone wall at Sacsayhuaman

Astronomical observation platform