Sacsayhuamán

Sacsayhuamán ( SACK-sy-wuh-mən; Spanish pronunciation: [saksajwaˈman]) or Saksaywaman (from Quechua Saksay waman pukara, pronounced [ˈsaksaj ˈwaman], lit. 'fortress of the royal falcon or hawk') is a citadel on the northern outskirts of the city of Cusco, Peru, the historic capital of the Inca Empire. The site is an important example of Inca architecture and sits at an altitude of 3,701 metres (12,142 ft).

The Spanish chroniclers recorded that within the Inca's oral history, the fortress was said to be built during the reign of Sapa Inca Pachacuti and his successors, Topa Inca Yupanqui and Huayna Capac. Dry stone walls constructed of huge stones were built on the site, with the workers carefully cutting the boulders to fit them together tightly without mortar.

In 1983, Cusco and Sacsayhuamán together were designated as sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, for international recognition and protection. The archeological site is now a tourist destination.

Text adapted from “Sacsayhuamán” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Sacsayhuamán ranks #92 of 8,134 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #2 of the 18 mapped in Peru. Founded c. 1100, it is older than 86% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 325 atlas entries founded in the 11th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 66,096 times in the last 60 days, more than 99% of the atlas. 2 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Cusco, 1 km away. See how Peru compares in the castle statistics.

View on the interactive castle map →

Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗