Sacsayhuamán (Spanish pronunciation: [saksajwaˈman]) or Saksaywaman (from Quechua, meaning "fortress of the royal falcon or hawk") is a fortress on the northern edge of Cusco, Peru. Cusco was the historic capital of the Inca Empire. The site is an example of Inca architecture and is located at an altitude of 3,701 meters (12,142 feet).
Spanish historians recorded that the fortress was built during the reign of Sapa Inca Pachacuti and his successors, Topa Inca Yupanqui and Huayna Capac. Dry stone walls made of large stones were built there. Workers carefully shaped the rocks so they fit together tightly without using mortar.
In 1983, Cusco and Sacsayhuamán were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List for protection and recognition. The archaeological site is now a popular tourist destination.
Description
Located on a steep hill that overlooks the city, the fortified complex has a wide view of the valley to the southeast. Archaeological studies of surface collections of pottery at Sacsayhuamán indicate that the earliest occupation of the hilltop dates to about 900 CE.
According to Inca oral history, Túpac Inca remembered that his father Pachacuti had called the city of Cuzco the "lion city." He said that the tail was where the two rivers unite, which flow through it, that the body was the great square and the houses around it, and that the head was missing.
The Inca decided the "best head would be to make a fortress on a high plateau to the north of the city."
During the 15th century, the Imperial Inca expanded on this settlement, building dry stone walls made of huge stones. Spanish chronicler Pedro Cieza de León wrote in 1553:
The Inca ordered that the provinces should provide 20,000 men and that the villages should send the necessary provisions. If any fell sick, another laborer was to supply his place, and he was to return to his home. These workers did not stay at the work site constantly. They labored for a limited time, and then others took over so they did not feel the demand on their services. There were 4,000 laborers whose duty was to quarry and get out the stones; 6,000 transported them using large cables made of leather and cabuya to the works. The rest dug the ground and prepared the foundations, some being told to cut the posts and beams for the woodwork. For their convenience, these laborers built their dwelling-huts, each lineage apart, near the place where the work was happening. Today, most of the walls of these lodgings can still be seen. Overseers were stationed to supervise, and there were master builders who had been well trained. Thus, on the highest part of a hill to the north of the city, and little more than an arquebus-shot from it, this fortress was built, which the natives called the House of the Sun, but which we named the Fortress.
The living rock was excavated for the foundation, which was prepared with such solidity that it will endure as long as the world itself. The work had, according to my estimate, a length of 330 paces and a width of 200. Its walls were so strong that no artillery could breach them. The principal entrance was a thing worthy of contemplation, to see how well it was built and how the walls were arranged so that one commanded the other. In these walls, there were stones so large and mighty that it tired the judgment to conceive how they could have been conveyed and placed, and who could have had sufficient power to shape them, seeing that among these people there are so few tools. Some of these stones are of a width of twelve feet and more than twenty long, others are thicker than a bullock. All the stones are laid and joined with such delicacy that a rial could not be put in between two of them.
I went to see this edifice twice. On one occasion I was accompanied by Tomas Vasquez, a conqueror, and on the other I found Hernando de Guzman there, who was present at the siege, and Juan de la Haya. Those who read this should believe that I relate nothing that I did not see. As I walked about, observing what was to be seen, I beheld, near the fortress, a stone which measured 260 of my palmos in circuit and so high that it looked as if it was in its original position. All the Indians say that the stone got tired at this point, and that they were unable to move it further. Assuredly, if I had not myself seen that the stone had been hewn and shaped, I should not have believed, however much it might have been asserted, that the force of man would have sufficed to bring it to where it now is. There it remains, as a testimony of what manner of men those were who conceived so good a work. The Spaniards have so pillaged and ruined it that I should be sorry to have been guilty of the fault of those in power who have permitted so magnificent a work to be so ruined. They have not considered the time to come, for it would have been better to have preserved the edifice and to have put a guard over it.
There were many buildings within the fortress, some small, one over the other, and others, which were large, were underground. They made two blocks of buildings, one larger than the other, wide and so well-built that I know not how I can exaggerate the art with which the stones are laid and worked; and they say that the subterranean edifices are even better. Other things were told me, which I do not repeat, because I am not certain of their accuracy. This fortress was commenced in the time of Ynca Yupanqui. His son, Tupac Inca, as well as Huayna Ccapac and Huascar, worked much at it, and although it is still worthy of admiration, it was formerly without comparison grander. When the Spaniards entered Cuzco, the Indians of Quizquiz had already collected great treasure; but some was still found, and it is believed that there is a great quantity in the vicinity. It would be well to give orders for the preservation of what is left of this fortress, and of that of Huarcu, as memorials of the grandeur of this people, and even for utility, as they could be made serviceable at so little cost.
After ambushing Atahualpa during the Spanish Conquest of Peru, Francisco Pizarro sent Martín Bueno and two other Spaniards to help transport gold and silver from the Temple of Coricancha in Cusco to Cajamarca, where the Spaniards were based. They found the Temple of the Sun "covered with plates of gold," which the Spanish supposedly ordered removed as payment for Atahualpa's ransom. Seven hundred plates were removed, and added to two hundred cargas of gold transported back to Cajamarca.
After Francisco Pizarro finally entered Cuzco, Pedro Pizarro described what they found: "on top of a hill they [the Inca] had a very strong fort surrounded with masonry walls of stones and having two very high round towers. And in the lower part of this
Theories about constructing the megalithic walls
Vince Lee is an author, architect, and explorer who has studied ancient sites where large stones were moved. He believed that the stones were carved carefully before being placed into position. This process required precise carving to create tight joints that fit into prepared spaces in the walls. After carving, the stones were pulled up a ramp and placed on top of a stack of logs. The logs were then removed one by one to lower the stones into place. An experiment was conducted to test this method on a small scale, but it had only limited success. If the Incas did not achieve tight joints the first time, they could have lifted the stones again to fix any mistakes. However, they did not reach the same level of precision as the Incas, though they thought more practice could improve their results.
Experiments were also carried out in Ollantaytambo to move large stones. These tests also had limited success. In one test, a 1-ton stone was lowered down a mountain, but it rolled out of control and moved on its own. This method likely was not used by the Incas, as they would have wanted to control the movement of stones to avoid accidents. Researchers concluded that even though gravity helped, practice was needed to manage the descent. Another experiment involved towing a megalith that may have weighed nearly 10 tons over cobblestones. About 12 people pushed the stone, while more than 100 people pulled on ropes to move it. They successfully moved the stone at a relatively fast speed.
The ancient Incas built a large road system that included 24,999 kilometers of roads. Some roads had stone pavings. Additional experiments were conducted at other locations to move large stones, but these efforts did not fully match the successful methods described by Pedro Cieza de León in the 16th century. The largest megaliths currently present were more than twice as large as the estimates Pedro provided for his time.
Modern-day use
Peruvians still celebrate Inti Raymi, the yearly Inca festival that marks the winter solstice and the beginning of the new year. This festival takes place near Sacsayhuamán on June 24. Another festival, called Warachikuy, is held there each year on the third Sunday of September.
People from Cusco sometimes use the large field inside the walls of the complex for jogging, tai chi, and other sports.