07. The Temple of the Sun
Located in the heart of Machu Picchu, this semicircular structure built on a massive rock was a key solar observatory that allowed the Incas to measure the winter solstice in honor of the sun god Inti.
08. The Royal Mausoleum
Situated beneath the Temple of the Sun, this intriguing space is accessed by a rock-carved staircase leading to an irregular grotto with trapezoidal niches and a three-level altar representing heaven, earth, and the underworld.
09. House of the Fountain Guardians
A three-walled structure featuring Inca design. It stands out for its wall slits, likely used to store tools and supplies for maintaining and managing the nearby sacred water fountains.
10. The Religious Fountains
16 carved stone water fountains distributed in levels and connected by channels crossing from the agricultural sector to the Temple of the Sun. They were essential for purification rites and provided fresh drinking water.
11. The Inca’s House
Also known as the King’s Group, located in the upper urban sector. It housed elite families and features symmetrical construction, a private running water channel, and separate enclosures for sleeping, living, and storing.
12. The Quarry Group
Here rock used for the citadel was extracted. Without metal tools or wheels, the Incas poured water into rock cracks during the day, which froze at night, expanding to naturally fracture the granite stones.
01. Introducción a Machu Picchu
El Misterio de MACHU PICCHU: Más Allá del Nombre. Machu Picchu, la majestuosa ciudad inca en los Andes peruanos, ha fascinado al mundo durante más de un siglo. Aunque su nombre, que significa ‘montaña vieja’ en quechua, ha sido objeto de debate, su significado trasciende una simple denominación. Investigaciones sugieren que el nombre original podría…
14. La Casa del Sumo Sacerdote
Ubicada en la Plaza Principal, la Casa del Sumo Sacerdote destaca por sus dos entradas, cinco nichos traseros y notables protuberancias de granito rosa traído desde Ollantaytambo, que añaden misterio a su propósito ceremonial.
15. El Templo de las Tres Ventanas
El Templo de las Tres Ventanas es una de las estructuras más destacadas de la Plaza Sagrada, llamada así por sus tres grandes ventanas orientadas al oeste. Presenta paredes de piedra finamente talladas y un pilar central que sostenía un techo inclinado.
16. El Templo Principal
Situado en el sector noreste, el Templo Principal (‘wasi’) es un edificio rectangular con grandes piedras finamente acabadas, siete nichos centrales y una robusta construcción antisísmica que fungía como centro espiritual de Machu Picchu.