Guide To The Main Constructions of Machu Picchu

Guide To The Main Constructions of Machu Picchu talking about Machu Picchu, where Machu Picchu is almost the only Inca site in Peru that survived the Spanish invasion and the last 500 years unscathed. As such, it is one of the few places where you can experience the architectonical ingenuity of the Inca masons. Despite its picture-perfect vista, few facts are known about Machu Picchu. The Lost City of the Incas remains a mystery, though the buildings hint at a glorious story. Here is everything you need to know about the Machu Picchu architecture.

Machu Picchu was an Inca citadel with agricultural, military and religious functions. Since its discovery in 1911, research work has revealed and continues to reveal data about the Inca civilization. However, there are still constructions that are difficult to interpret, such as: the Royal Tomb, the Temple of the Sun, the Secret Door and more. Meet the 6 most mysterious constructions of Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu Legen and Architecture

Machu Picchu Legen and Architecture
The technique used to build the structure is called “Ashlar”, which means that stones are precisely cut to fit together without any mortar. This method is so precise, that not even a credit card can slide between stones. Peru has experienced hundreds of years of seismic activity, yet the stone structures the Inca’s crafted stand strong undamaged by natures powerful forces.

Some of the most interesting architectural features of Machu Picchu are all closely huddled together over its total area of 32,592 hectares, each stone structure with an archaeological and spiritual back story that would make even Indiana Jones proud!

Royal Tomb

The Royal Tomb of Machu Picchu is a mausoleum located inside a cavern located just below the Temple of the Sun. It has stone formations carved with great perfection. Inside there are up to four niches with engravings. It would be the tomb of an important character of the Inca nobility, even the emperor himself. However, the mummified body has not been found. Currently the entrance to the Royal Tomb is closed on the classic route through the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. Tourists can only observe the entrance to this construction from the outside.

Intihuatana

Inti huatana or Intiwatana, is one of the strangest and most enigmatic structures at Machu Picchu. Known as the “hitching post of the sun” many archaeologists believe this carved stone structure served as some kind of sundial or calendar. Similar structures are found at other important Inca sites, but many were deliberately damaged by the Spanish conquistadores. On June 21 — the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere, the Intihuatana stone casts its longest shadow, spilling out along its southern flank.

Conversely, on December 21, the summer solstice, a far more truncated shadow is cast on the northern side. The sun god, Inti, was among the most revered gods of the Inca civilization. During the winter solstice, when it appeared the sun was at risk of drifting away, never to return, a high priest would perform a ritual at the Inti Watana, ensuring the sun would reappear for another year.

Temple of the Sun

The Temple of the Sun is one of the most important constructions at Machu Picchu. Only priests and higher nobles were permitted to enter, with no commoners allowed inside. The temple’s structure mixes man made and natural features. The most striking feature is the Tower, with its semicircular outer wall — a rarity in Inca construction. A natural outcrop of rock inside the Torreón may have served as a ritual alter, while windows within the walls of the tower are aligned to the summer and winter solstices. Beneath the Torreón lies a natural cave with carved walls, which Hiram Bingham described as a mausoleum. Another theory argues that this cave was a ritual center in honor of Pachamama (Mother Earth).

Temple of the Condor

The Temple of the Condor shows the artistry and creativity of Inca stonemasons. Take a few steps back from the temple’s entrance and you’ll begin to make out an actual condor, wings outspread, appearing before you. Its wings are formed by two diagonal outcrops of rock rising up above the temple entrance, with the condor’s head and beak carved into a smooth, flat rock on the ground. The cave inside the temple was likely used for rituals. The condor’s head may have served as an altar.

Temple of the Three Windows

The Temple of the Three Windows (also known as the Room of the Three Windows) is situated on Machu Picchu’s Sacred Plaza. The main wall of this sturdy rectangular building contains three windows that overlook the mountains surrounding Machu Picchu. The windows are aligned to the sunrise. When Bingham first excavated the temple, he and his team found shards of smashed pottery beneath the temple floor, likely broken as part of ritual ceremonies inside the Temple of the Three Windows.

Principal Temple

Adjacent to the Temple of the Three Windows is the Principal Temple (sometimes known as the Main Temple). Due to its large size and prominent location on the Sacred Plaza, many archaeologists believe the Principal Temple was one of the main public temples at Machu Picchu, where large ceremonies would have taken place. Due to soil movement and sinking, one corner of the temple has been damaged, its huge stone blocks twisting out of place. Nonetheless, it remains an impressive structure of obvious prestige and importance.

Guardhouse

Guardhouse, also known as the Caretaker’s Hut, isn’t one of the more important structures at Machu Picchu, at least not in any ritual or ceremonial context. It was, however, an important building for security and defense. The building sits on a terraced hill overlooking the Sacred Plaza, and served as a strategic watchtower over two main entrances to Machu Picchu. The popular panoramic photo of Machu Picchu that most tourists take is often snapped from near the Guardhouse.