Hello, today I wrote about the incredible Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, which is located north of the city of Cuzco.

Sacsayhuaman: What you should know before visiting this Inca fortress

 Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park

There are many myths about Sacsayhuaman. This place is located 2 kilometers from the city of Cusco. It is one of the most mysterious archaeological centers in the world, built by more than 5000 stones ranging in size from small to immense that measure 4 to 5 meters in height and 125 tons in weight.

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It is difficult to explain how an ancient civilization could carry or transport stones with these weights and dimensions.

In fact, many archaeologists and historians agree that the construction was carried out by order of the Inca Pachacutec in the 15th century, a work of more than 20,000 men in 15 years.

The way to transport the rocks was with the technique of tree trunks, using tires as a base, as shown in many history books.

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The Chincana of Sacsayhuaman

They are underground tunnels that take you from one place to another. In the Inca culture, they built many of them with a short or extensive distance of 5 to 8 kilometers.

There have been reports of Chincanas that could connect districts in Cusco over a distance of up to 60 kilometers.

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The archaeological park of Sacsayhuamán has more than 3000 hectares, and within this place are several Inca ruins with chinchanas, such as Zone X, a place to explore with great caution.

The meaning of “chincana” is “lost.” This term comes from the Inca-Quechua language.

According to legend, these chincanas can travel long distances, from Cusco to Lima’s capital.

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Myths of Sacsayhuaman

The myth of the three students who decided to explore the chincanas of Sacsayhuamán is that they could never get out of these tunnels.

The chincana that they decided to explore was that of Sacsayhuamán, which connects you to the temple of the sun, “Qoricancha.”

They say that of the three companions, only one was able to leave with a piece of gold the size of a corn in the Coricancha compound after one month, and within minutes of leaving he died.

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 What does Sacsaywaman mean?

“Saccsa” means “full, satisfied,” and “waman” means “falcon,” and it is a military defense fortress and a control point for entering the Cusco empire.

But it is also a sacred place; according to historians, in this place, human sacrifices were also made of animals because the Incas were polytheistic and worshiped rays, the sun, the moon, water, and mountains, and this construction resembles the shape of lightning.

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Sacsayhuamán, which has a 1 km zigzag design that resembles the shape of lightning, is built in giant stones that have a perfect union. 

 The rodadero of Sacsayhuaman

The rodadero is a natural formation of diorite stone of volcanic origin. Over the years, something arched has formed, a place where you can roll.

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How do I get to Sacsayhuaman?

Getting to Sacsayhuamán is easy; here we present three ways to get to this place without a guide.

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The first option is to walk to this place from the main square of Cusco, crossing Suecia Street, slippery Street, and the San Cristóbal viewpoint; from here, you will take an Inca path of steps to the same ruins as Sacsayhuamán.

You can take this cheap option: you have to go to Puente Rosario street, which is 2 blocks from the Plaza de Armas in front of the Qoricancha garden. Here you will take the public bus “El Huerto,” and you will only pay 2 soles.

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This option is the easiest; you can take a taxi from anywhere in the historic center of Cusco. Remember to take a taxi with an identification plate on the vehicle. The travel time is 15 minutes, and the price of the service is between 15 or 20 soles.

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