QORIKANCHA
The
famous Sun Temple of Qosqo was and is in practice a
synthesis of the Incan organization, architecture and
religion; that had already reached the summit of their
level by 1438. It possibly represented the "Navel
of the World"; therefore, the world's center in
the pre-Hispanic Andean Cosmovision.According to our history, it was the first Inca, Manko
Qhapaq who built the original temple. But, it was the
ninth, Pachakuteq who since 1438 reconstructed, enlarged,
improved and modernized the most important religious
complex of the vast Incan Society.
There are certain discrepancies about the complex's original
name, and though they are not antagonistic ones, they cause
a relative confusion. Frequently in chronicles and history
treatises the name Intiwasi is found, (inti= sun, wasi= house)
it means "Sun House"; also the name Intikancha is
used and which would mean "Sun Palace" (this is
considering that almost all Incan palaces had the noun "Kancha").
While that its most popular name is Qorikancha that would
mean "Golden Palace". Maria Rostworowski suggests
that the ancient temple was known as "Intikancha"
and after Pachakuteq as "Qorikancha".
All the chroniclers coincide manifesting that the quality
of the building was extraordinary, made with gray basaltic
andesites coming from the quarries of Waqoto and Rumiqolqa.
The walls have the "Sedimentary" or "Imperial
Incan" type that is the maximum expression of architecture
in pre-Columbian America. The stones are between medium to
large which outer surface is rectangular; the structure is
straight horizontal that in the most important temples exhibit
side views with marked convexity. The joints between stones
are polished, so perfectly made that they do not allow insertion
of even "razor blade". The cross section structure
is "tied up", that is, with "H" shaped
bronze clamps or clips in the internal joints that fastened
together the lithic pieces avoiding harmful horizontal displacements
in case of earthquakes. The wall also have a decreasing vertical
structure, that is, with bigger stones in the lower part and
every time smaller toward the top. The walls are wider in
the base than on the top; with the classical inclination inward
(there is not a general rule or measurement for that inclination)
balanced with the trapezoidal shape of doorways, niches and
openings. Those characteristics make the walls support themselves
forming a resistant, solid, anti-seismic structure that was
able to resist the two huge earthquakes after the Spanish
invasion, in 1650 and 1950 that destroyed every tough colonial
building. Today in some Incan walls of the complex there are
a few cracks. They are not a result of bad calculation or
technique of the Quechua architects, but simply, consequence
of changes carried out in colonial times, the earthquakes
and mainly exposition to inclement weather and erosion after
all of them. According to some studies the finely carved stone
walls had a continuation of sun-dried mud-bricks on the top
forming very steep gable ends in order to enable drainage
of rain waters. The roofing was thatched made in wood and
"ichu" the wild Andean bunch grass, with eaves projecting
out about 1.6 mts. (5.25 ft); roofs which modest aspect was
remedied in festivity days when they were covered with showy
multicolored rugs made with special feathers. Gasparini believes
that the often mentioned by chroniclers "gold edging"
that served as a crown surrounding the whole outer upper side
of the temple served, more over, in order to dissemble the
difference between the fine stone wall and the upper adobe
wall. The floor in the open areas of the temple must have
been completely and finely paved with flagstones while the
floors inside the enclosures were surely made with kilned
clay as a solid ceramic block like the treated floors found
in Machupicchu.
The temple's main gate faced toward the
Northeast; almost in the same position of the present-day
entrance to the Santo Domingo (St. Dominic) Convent, overlooking
the Intipanpa ("Sun Plaza") that today occupies
the small park in front. According to chroniclers this
was a religious complex constituted by temples dedicated
to different deities. It had a layout very similar to
that of a classical "kancha"; with enclosures
around a central patio where according to Cieza de Leon,
every doorway was veneered with gold plates.
The Sun Temple stood out in the complex, covering the space
occupied today by the Santo Domingo Catholic Church. Its eastern
end was completely demolished while the western one still
subsists partially forming what is known as "solar round
building", that is, the semicircular wall overlooking
the present-day Arrayan street and the Avenida del Sol. The
Sun Temple had its four walls and even the wooden ceiling
completely covered with gold plates and planks, according
to Garcilaso's description it must had a rectangular floor
plan, with a very high thatched roof for facilitating ventilation.
It is worth pointing out that whom gives the most detailed
information about the subject is the famous Cusquenian Chronicler
Garcilaso de la Vega, who wrote as it is indicated by himself:
"... what I swallowed in the milk and saw and heard from
my ancestors...". On the eastern wall of this temple
must have been the facade and Main Altar that as it is known
contained the representation of the Sun God in a gold plate
with the shape of a "round face and rays and flames".
That solar representation was so huge that it covered all
the temple front from wall to wall; in the treasures distribution
among the conquerors, that golden piece corresponded by casting
of lots to Mancio Sierra de Leguisamo, an inveterate gambler
who lost it during one night playing dices; event by which
the famous saying " bet the sun before dawn" was
created. Chronicler Sarmiento de Gamboa suggests that Pachakuteq
ordered a layout so that the Sun would occupy the main place
along with the Wiraqocha god representation on its right side
and that of Chuquiylla (it must be "Chuki Illapa"
or thunder, lightning and thunderbolt) to its left side. Also,
on both sides of the Sun image were the "Mallki"
(mummies or embalmed bodies in a fetal position) of the dead
Inka Kings, according to their antiquity, and over litters
of solid gold.
In the Andean Cosmogony it was considered that the Moon or
Mamakilla was the Sun's wife. Therefore, the Moon Temple was
located on the eastern side of the Solar Temple; it had a
rectangular floor plan with the best quality of architecture,
unfortunately it was almost completely destroyed in order
to built the Catholic Church. One of its gates is still seen
as well as its eastern wall with the classical trapezoidal
niches. Among those niches is the horizontal dark stripe that
is believed to be the support zone of the silver plates that
covered completely its walls. In the center of the temple
there was a silver Moon representation and on both sides of
it the embalmed bodies of the dead Qoyas (Queens), according
to their antiquity.
More over, in this vast complex there were 5 Water Fountains,
in which flowed clean water transported through underground
channels; the water springs or sources were kept completely
secret. Those water fountains had religious duties as water
was another deity in the Andean Religion; they were also adorned
with precious metals, had golden spillways, and large gold
and silver jars. In colonial times the water was dried up
as a consequence of lack of maintenance and on-purpose destruction.
Garcilaso indicates that he saw just one of them: the last
one that Dominican monks used to irrigate their vegetable
garden. Since 1975, the convent and church were reconstructed,
at the same time some archaeological digs were performed too;
they finally made possible finding one of the 5 original fountains.
It is located lower and before the "solar round building";
water still flows through its finely carved channels. It is
possible that in the future remains of the other fountains
described by Garcilaso will be found. Until 1990 most of the
Solar Garden's space was covered by different buildings; thanks
to a law that was put into effect by the end of the 80s, the
central government and especially the Qosqo's Municipality
bought the lands and houses of the sector and some archaeological
works were carried out. The aim was to uncover our past and
make known the so little that is left from the complex's greatness;
which as Spanish soldier Cieza de Leon wrote "... finally,
it was one of the rich temples existing in the world."
In the middle of the cloister's central patio is an eight
sided fountain carved in a single andesite piece that according
to some historians it has Incan manufacture. However, its
shape and characteristics are not classical in Incan stone
masonry. Therefore, if it was carved in Incan times it must
had another shape that was transformed in colonial times.
Also today, around the archways there is a collection of canvases
representing the life of Saint Dominic Guzman painted by anonymous
local Cusquenian School artists.
After the distribution of houses and palaces during the Spanish
invasion, the Qorikancha corresponded to Juan Pizarro who
donated it to the Dominican Order represented by the first
bishop of Qosqo City Fray Vicente Valverde. He immediately
executed construction of their church and convent over the
most important Incan Temple demolishing it almost completely
for adapting it to its new use. That original church was destroyed
by an earthquake on March 31, 1650. Subsequently, the present-day
structure was raised as well as the tower in 1780 with an
elaborate baroque under direction of Fray Francisco Muñoz.
On May 21st. 1950 another violent earthquake destroyed a large
part of the convent and church as well as its tower leaving
uncovered many Incan structures and the interior area of the
"Solar Round Building". By that time a strong "Indigenist
Movement" suggested the relocation of the church and
recovery of the Sun Temple; it is a pity that Catholic Church's
political power did not allow that attempt for clearing the
ruins of the major Tawantinsuyo's sanctuary.
Qosqo Inca’s Sacred Capital
SAN BLAS (SAINT BLAISE) CHURCH
San Blas is today a downtown neighborhood in the city known
as the " Artists' District", with narrow and writhing
streets, most of them steep. In Incan times it was one of
the most important districts of Qosqo and its name was "T'oqo-kachi"
(T'oqo = hollow; kachi = salt). Like the other districts it
was inhabited by the Quechua nobility. It seems that the church
was erected over an Incan Sanctuary devoted to cult of the
"Illapa" god (Thunder, Lightning and Thunderbolt).
It was possibly opened for the first time in 1544 by the city's
second Bishop Juan Solano. Although some other versions say
that it was after 1559 as consequence of viceroy Andres Hurtado
de Mendoza's order by which "Indians" had to built
churches for their indoctrination in the districts where they
lived. Its structure was simple with a rectangular floor plan
and mud brick walls, but after the earthquakes in 1650 and
1950 it was partially reinforced with stone walls. It has
just one nave and two gates before which there are big plazas;
and a stone bell tower constructed after the 1950 earthquake
instead of the original made with mud bricks.
Inside the church is one of the greatest jewels of colonial
art in the continent: the Pulpit of Saint Blaise; which is
a filigree made in cedar wood by expert hands managing a gouge.
It is not known with certainty who was the artist or artists
that made it, how long the work lasted, neither any other
details about it. However, the pulpit is over there as a mute
witness of a great Catholic devotion and devoted work. There
are enough proofs to assert that it was made carved with funds
given by art protector Bishop Manuel Mollinedo y Angulo; therefore,
it was by the end of the XVII century. There are serious discrepancies
about the identity of the performing artist.
Most authors suggest that it was made by the most famous
Quechua woodcarver: Juan Tomas Tuyro Tupaq, that was contemporary
and protected of Mollinedo y Angulo, who entrusted him the
manufacture of several works. It also could have been work
of some other artists contemporary with Mollinedo such as
Martin de Torres, Diego Martinez de Oviedo who made the monumental
High Altar of the Compañia de Jesus Church, or the
Franciscan Luis Montes that made the San Francisco Church's
choir. Oral tradition has its version gathered by Angel Carreño
who in his "Cusquenian Traditions" manuscript had
stated in writing the name Esteban Orcasitas as the pulpit's
author; but, for the 1st. edition of his book the name was
changed by that of Juan Tomas Tuyrutupa. Tuyrutupa was Quechua
and Cusquenian, but according to that traditional version
he was a leper woodcarver from Huamanga (Ayacucho). The story
tells that once he had in his dreams a revelation of the "Holy
Virgin of the Good Happening" who told him that if he
wanted to get healed from his leprosy he had to look for her
in the small plaza of Arrayanpata in Qosqo City. After a long
journey and many mishaps, one day he found her painted on
a wall after that the roofing of the "Lirpuy-Phaqcha"
chapel fell in. Falling on his knees and weeping he invoked
her, as the Virgin's rosary became rose petals with which
he rubbed hard his whole body remaining thus completely healed.
The piece of wall containing the painting was cut and moved
to the Saint Blaise Church, then people agreed upon to build
an altarpiece and a pulpit for the Virgin. The grateful Quechua
woodcarver committed himself to make the pulpit without charging
any money for the work estimated in 1400 pesos. The work took
him 4 years of hard labor with wood from an enormous cedar
tree that was cut in the Kusipata square (present-day Regocijo).
But, when finishing his work the woodcarver failed his oath
as he asked the church's curate for 70 pesos in order to lionize
a Cusquenian half-breed woman. After fastening the Saint Paul
statue over the pulpit's sounding board, he stumbled and fell
off dying soon after. His corpse was buried under the pulpit
but some time later it was taken out and his skull placed
before the feet of the Saint Paul sculpture, where it is seen
today.
As any other normal pulpit, that of Saint Blaise has a balcony
(basin), a thorax (main body), a sounding board (cupola),
and a gallery (entrance). The Basin is spherical and supported
by a bronze structure; it contains eight human busts representing
the Catholicism heretics
The Saqsaywaman archaeological complex has an area of 3,000
hectares and is located North of Cusco and is controlled by
the National Cultural Institute. It includes the following
archaeological monuments:
SAQSAYWAMAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL
PARK SAQSAYWAMAN.-
Located 2km from the city. Together with the city of
Cusco, this monumental complex is considered the first
of the new seven wonders of the world. This huge construction
was planned and built by Andean Man. The Incas called
it the House of the Sun and the Spaniards called it
a fortress because of its zig-zag shape and the 1536
revolution. The construction, which is made up of three
platforms one on top of the other, was one of the most
important religious complexes of its time.
Q'ENQO.-
The name means labyrinth or zigzag. Located 3km from
Cusco, this temple dedicated to Mother Earth is a unique
center of worship and for ceremonies. It has numerous
ceremonial carvings, holes and canals cut into the rock.
One of its features is a semi-natural underground chamber.
The mixed-blood historian Garcilaso Vega described in
his book "The Royal Commentaries" every detail
of this sacred spot, its walls, rooms, towers, doors and
canals, which have sparked great interest and admiration
from visitors and residents alike. The enormous boulders
that form part of the construction were put together perfectly
without using mortar. The heaviest weighs up to 125 tons.
Archaeologists are currently excavating and have discovered
water fountains, canals and rooms. In a nearby flat area,
every June 24 local inhabitants hold the Festival of the
Sun, or Ind Raymi. Saqsaywaman witnessed important historic
events.
PUCA PUCARA.-
This construction is located 6km from Cusco. "Puca"
in Quechua means "Red" and "Pucara" means
"Fortress-Watchtower. Located at a strategic point along
the road to the Antisuyo (the jungle part of the Inca empire),
it also served as a checkpoint on the Inca road and was a
military and administrative center.
TAMBOMACHAY.-
Located 7km from Cusco at 3,700 meters above sea level, this
site was popularly known as the "Inca's Baths".
Researchers believe Tambomachay was an important center of
worship of water. It is an archaeological complex made up
of well-crafted canals, walls and windows which show the Incas'
extraordinary architectural talents and their in-depth knowledge
of hydraulics.
LAQO, LANLAKUYOQ AND KUSILLUCHAYOQ.-
These pre-Columbian observatories have felines, serpents and
birds carved into the rock and were ceremonial centers of
worship. These observatories have to be visited by on foot.
The Saqsaywaman archaeological complex also boasts a singularly
beautiful landscape and abundant flora and fauna. This includes
llama, kestrels and falcons ("Wuaman" in Quechua).
Continuing along the route we come to Pisaq.
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