October 18, 2007

From SATA-Peru-2007

The text in today's blog comes from a website that is called: "Qosqo, Inkas' Sacred Capital" (http://www.qosqo.com/qosqo/).

The entire group went for a hike around this very impressive Inca site near Cusco. All images here were taken by Papacito, Manuel Lizarralde. Enjoy!

O L L A N T A Y T A M B O

Ollantaytambo is a compound Quechua word that is derived from " Ollanta" that is a personal name, and " Tambo" that is a Spanish form of " Tanpu" that refers about a city that offered lodgings, food and comfort for travelers. "Ollanta" is the name of an Inka Captain whose history was kept as an oral tradition and written as drama by Antonio Valdez, a priest from Urubamba, by the middle of the XVIII century; it was adapted for a theatrical play and opened in 1780. It is apparently since then when "Ollantaytambo" (Ollanta's tambo) began being used to name the town where events of the drama were carried out.

Towards the town's east is the Pinkuylluna hill (pinkuyllo = wind musical instrument similar to the "quena" or Andean flute) where an imposing huge building stands out and about which there is a lot of myth. Some very imaginative "scholars" argue that it's been a school, a hospital some others, jail others, and even a hurling precipice!; according to archaeology and the Inkan architectonic characterization it was a "Qollqa" or "Pirwa"; that is, a granary or storehouse for food, clothing and weapons for local army. It has many doorways and openings that allowed ventilation, and surely they were built up there to enable protection of the stored goods. Likewise, some other smaller buildings are located in outstanding spots or angles of the mountain that served as watchtowers for controlling movement of persons in the valley.

Toward the western end of the town and crossing the Patakancha (Upper Enclosure) stream is the great Plaza known as Mañay Raqay (Pleas Plaza) which seem to keep its original name, surrounded by sun-dried mud-brick buildings that were very important in their epoch. Towards the west of this plaza is the entrance to the religious sector; in the lower part there are terraces that served for two purposes: they were farming terraces and had an aqueduct by their southern end; likewise, they served in order to stop erosion of the upper side protecting the most important temples.

Going up through the stairway between the terraces is the 10 Window Temple, which is named that because of the 10 trapezoidal niches existing in its back wall; its front wall was destroyed and today the real duty of that inclosure is unknown. Somewhat higher is the spot of the most important temple: the Sun Temple that was constructed with huge red porphyry (pink granite) boulders (top left on picture).

What is left of the Sun Temple are some peripheral walls and the classical major wall that according to most historians is part of the High Altar. It consists of six enormous stone blocks which average weight is about 90 tons and have as vertical joints some other smaller stones making a wall that is unusual in the Inkan Architecture.

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October 17, 2007 October 19, 2007