It is a hill whose flanks were transformed into terraces, thus taking the form of a polygonal pyramid.
High up surrounded by elite buildings is the Intihuatana stone which means where the Sun is moored, one of the most studied objects of Machu Picchu that has been related to a series of places considered sacred from which clear alignments between astronomical events and the surrounding mountains.
The Intihuatana fulfilled two functions:
1.Measurement of time, solstice, and equinox by the effect of light and shadow.
2.As an altar stone.
Its vertices are directed towards the four cardinal points.
This stone is the most important centerpiece of a complex system of astronomical measurements to determine the start and end of agricultural campaigns although it was also apparently used as a ritual altar.
