Coricancha is an incredible sun temple in peru. Temples of Cusco The most important temple of the Inca empire dedicated to the supreme deity

The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru at the beginning of the 13th century. Beginning in 1438, they began to conquer lands to create an empire. To our time, little has remained of the Inca culture, since the conquistadors plundered and destroyed everything that came into their sight. Now the tourist remains to enjoy the ruins that are in the mountains of South America.

Moray Terraces

The Moray Terraces were most likely used as an agricultural laboratory for growing different varieties of plants high in the Andes. The deepest crater is 150 meters. The difference in temperature between the upper and lower crater is 15 ° C, which made it possible to determine the endurance of plants.

Vinay Vaina

The Vinay Vine structure is built on a hillside overlooking the Urubamba River. Perhaps it served as a resting place for weary travelers on the way to the famous Machu Picchu. Next to this structure are terraces for agricultural land.

Temple of Coricancha

Coricancha in Cusco was originally called Inti Kancha ("Temple of the Sun"). It is the most important temple in the Inca empire. The walls and floor were once covered with leaves of solid gold, and the courtyard was filled with golden statues. Like many other Inca monuments, it suffered greatly from the conquistadors who built the Christian Church of Santo Domingo on top of these ruins. Subsequently, the church was destroyed by an earthquake, and the massive walls of the Inca structure remained intact.

Lactapata

The Lactapata structure is located at an altitude of 2840 meters above sea level. Llactapata translates from Quechua as "High City". This place was probably used for storing crops.

Isla del Sol

Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) is a rocky, hilly island located in the southern part of Lake Titicaca. According to the Inca religion, this was the first earth after the waters of the great flood began to recede and the Sun arose from the islands to illuminate the sky. In honor of the birth of the sun god, the Incas built several sacred sites on the island.

Saxayhuaman

Sacsayhuaman is a wall located high above the city of Cusco. The imperial city of Cuzco was founded in the form of a cougar, an animal that symbolizes the Inca dynasty. The cougar's belly was the main square, the Tulumayo River formed the spine, and Sacsayhuaman Hill formed the head. Sacsayhuaman are cougar teeth.

Pisak

The word Pisak translated from the Quechua language means "partridge". Traditionally, the Incas built their cities in the form of various animals and birds. The pisak was built in the shape of a partridge

Choquequirao

Located on the border of Cuzco and Apurimac, Choquequirao is 3085 meters above sea level. The ruins are in the form of a staircase of 180 terraces. Built in a completely different style than Machu Picchu, Choquequirao is much larger in size.

Ollantaytambo

In the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of the Emperor Pachacuti, who conquered the region and built a city with a ceremonial center there. Currently, the Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo is an important tourist attraction and one of the most common tourist destinations.

Machu Picchu

The most beautiful and impressive ancient Inca ruins in the world, Machu Picchu was rediscovered in 1911 by the Hawaiian historian Hiram. The "Lost City of the Incas" is invisible from below and is completely autonomous. Machu Picchu is the most important tourist attraction in Peru.

In continuation, read also about the most mysterious places on our planet, the list of which includes the above ruins.

• Address: Santo Domingo s / n, Cusco, Peru
• Telephone: +51 84 249176
• Working hours: 08: 30-17: 30, Sunday - closed
• Ticket prices: 10 PEN / € 2.6

The Coricancha Temple is located in one of the most mysterious and impressive -. More precisely, only stone walls remain of the once majestic temple, but they also make an equally grandiose impression.

Temple history

According to some reports, the Coricancha sun temple was built by the Incas back in 1200. This majestic temple complex was distinguished by a non-standard design, perfectly flat stone masonry and luxurious gold decoration. It was erected in honor of the six main gods of the Incas:

• the sun god Inti;
• star god;
• the creator god Viracocha;
• the god of the rainbow;
• the god of thunder;
• god Venus.

According to legends, each of the halls was decorated with items of gold and silver, inlaid with figures of gods, jugs with precious stones. The Korikancha temple was very important for the inhabitants, as it united the various cultural traditions of all the tribes living in this territory. But the Spanish conquerors, who invaded the country, destroyed the once majestic temple complex by deception. In 1950, as a result of a strong earthquake, the ruins of the temple of the sun god - Inti were discovered. This is the only thing that has survived from this ancient complex.

Temple sights

Like the city of Cusco itself, the Coricancha temple is located in the Peruvian Andes. Getting here, you feel how much the air is discharged, but this makes the impressions of the historical monument even more vivid. Despite the fact that the Korikancha temple complex was erected back in the 1200s, even then people knew how to build perfectly level structures. It is based on rectangular stone blocks that were once carved from andesite (rock that was mined in the Andes) and granite. The stones are so precisely matched to each other that it seems as if they were folded along a special huge ruler. The same stonework can be seen inside the temple complex. In some rooms, the ceiling decoration has been preserved. By its condition, one can judge how luxuriously this structure was decorated. Locals still believe that part of the Inca gold reserve is still kept under the ruins of the temple.

In 1860, the Cathedral of St. Dominican, designed in the Spanish Baroque style, was added to the Coricancha temple. But even the skill of famous Spanish architects cannot match the engineering and artistic skills of the ancient Incas.

Once a garden was laid out next to the Korikancha temple, in which there were many gold and silver figures of animals and birds. An entire cornfield of precious metals was even destroyed here. Now on the territory of the temple you can find only huge boulders and vegetation. After walking through the territory of the Korikancha temple of the sun, you can go on a tour of the archaeological museum, which displays exhibits that once belonged to the temple. Here you can see ancient mummies, ancient religious idols and many other artifacts.

How to get there?

To get to the Coricancha temple, you need to drive from the center of Cusco to the Estacion de Colectivos Cusco-Urubamba stop, or walk along San Martin Street and Av Tullumayo. Optionally, you can also

Temple of Korikancha (Qurikancha, Intikancha)

Temple Coricancha ("Golden Temple", "Temple of the Sun") - was the most important temple of the Inca Empire, built in pre-Inca times and used by the Incas. Dedicated to the highest deity of the Incas - the sun god Inti.

In the Inca times, the walls and floor of the temple were decorated with gold plates, and there were golden statues in the courtyard. Initially, the walls of the Korikancha temple were covered with seven hundred gold plates, weighing two kilograms, and in the fence of the temple there was a golden garden in which golden lamas grazed and a field of golden corn grew. They say that everything in it was made of gold and silver: fields of corn, fruit trees, animals, fabulous birds, lizards and snakes. Golden butterflies hung from thin golden threads, and the walls were entwined with golden vines. And all this was done in full size, arousing admiration and pleasing the eyes of visitors, giving rise to a rumor about the fabulous splendor of Coricancha.

The temple of Coricancha had a golden altar and Golden Disc of the Sun God Inti... It is believed that the Indians voluntarily gave part of the decoration of the temple to the Spaniards, as a ransom for the Supreme Inca Atahualpa. But most of the ritual gold of the Sun God Inti, according to legend, was hidden by the Incas in the caves of the Vilcabamba mountain range, between the Apurimac and Urubamba rivers, where it was taken by caravans of laden lamas. The grandeur and glory of the Coricancha temple in the Inca empire was so great that people living in the most remote corners of the empire sought to get to Cuzco, just to visit the Coricancha temple. Spanish conquistadors, extremely fond of gold, wrote about the fantastically rich decoration of the Coricancha temple, calling it "wealth beyond faith."

The Coricancha Temple was the most important shrine of the Inca and was created especially for the Sun God Inti. Plated with sheets of pure gold, Coricancha shone in the sun and was visible from a great distance. And yet the most amazing thing about him was not gold, and masonry, which the builders used to tie the polygonal blocks. It was she who allowed all the structures of the Incas to withstand the most destructive earthquakes. At the same time, the Cathedral of St. Domingo, erected on the masonry of the Incas, was destroyed twice, and it had to be rebuilt.

Destroyed after the invasion of the conquistadors. Today, the ruins of a temple are preserved in the center of Cuzco, Peru. After a strong earthquake in 1650, the Cathedral of Santo Domingo (Saint Dominic) was built over them. The four former premises of the temple were used as a monastery. A violent earthquake in 1950 damaged the cathedral and exposed some of the ruins of an Inca temple.

There is an underground archaeological museum nearby, which houses many exhibits, including mummies, tissue samples, and idols.

Cusco was the capital of the great Inca Empire for 200 years, but excavations show that people lived in these places 3000 years ago.

The Incas divided the territory of their empireTahuantisuyu (in Quechua Tawantin Suyu, Tawantinsuyu , Tawantinsuyu, Tavantinsuyu, means “four cardinal points connected together”)into 4 parts, in the center of which was their capital - Cuzco. They did not know other countries, did not sail across the seas, their land for them was the whole world, and Cuzco was the center of this world. This explains one of the versions of the meaning of the name of the city, which can be translated from the Quechua language as “Center of the World, Navel of the Earth”. According to another version, the name of the city is translated as “Place of Ash” - that is, the place where ritual sacrifices are performed. It was in Cuzco during the time of the Incas that all the main temples were located and the most significant religious ceremonies took place here too.

How the Spanish conquistadors saw Cuzco when they showed up here in 1533

It was a thriving city with splendid temples, squares, and wealthy homes for royalty, confidants, and other nobles. The Saphi River crossed the central square and divided the city into 2 parts: Upper (Hanan) and Lower (Urin) Cuzco. The layout of Cusco followed the silhouette of one of the sacred animals - the cougar. The head of the cougar was the Saqsaywaman district, located above the level of the rest of the city.

Having settled in Cuzco, the conquerors changed the face of the city, turning the Inca buildings into their mansions. Spanish houses were built on the foundations of previous buildings; the conquistadors took stones for their temples, dismantling the masonry of the Inca buildings. In Cusco, a unique style of “mestiso” was formed - a mixture of Andean and Spanish motives - which we can observe today not only in architecture, but also in culture in general.

History of Cuzco

According to the Inca legend, the founder of the city was the first Inca Manko Qhapaq. According to one version, he left Lake Titicaca with his wife named Mama Oilya and went north to look for a place where his golden staff would easily enter the ground. Where he stuck the staff, the city of Cuzco appeared.According to another versionfour brothers and their four sister-wivesemerged from a cave on one of the islands of Lake Titicaca. One of the brothers was Manco Capac, who founded Cuzco and laid the foundation for the Inca Empire.

The history of the Great Empire of Tahuantisuyu began in Cuzco, and here it ended. This happened in 1572, when the Spanish conquistadors in the main square of the city beheaded the last representative of the Inca rulers - the Inca Tupac Amaru (Thupaq Amaru).

TOP 11 attractions in Cusco - what to see in and around Cusco

Cuzco is the main tourist city of Peru. It is from here that the most famous and interesting ones begin, and many others start from here.

In addition, there are a lot of interesting museums in Cusco.

1. Inca Museum (Museo Inca)

This museum is also called the Archaeological Museum of Cuzco, as it houses artifacts that allow us to trace the history of Peru during the Preinca civilizations, the Great Empire and the colonial period.

The building that houses the museum was built on the site of an Inca palace in the early 17th century and belonged to Admiral Francisco Aldreta Maldonado.

The museum is open daily.

Museum address: 103 Cuesta del Almirante, Cusco, Peru

2. Qoricancha Temple

At the time of the Incas, Coricancha (in Quechua "Golden Fence") was the richest temple. It was built in honor of the Sun God Inti, so its walls were lined with gold plates inlaid with precious stones. It was here that the mummies of the noble Incas were kept, which were used during religious ceremonies.After the conquest, the Spaniards built the Church of Santo Domingo on the ruins of the Temple of the Sun, but fortunately, some parts of the original temple have survived and can be seen today.

The museum is open daily.

Museum address: Plaza Intipampa (between Av.El Sol and Calle Santo Domingo), Cusco, Peru

3. Coca Museum (Museo de la Coca)

Coca leaves were of great importance during the Inca Empire and still remain an important element of the Andean culture. In this museum you can learn about the history and meaning of coca, its uses and much more.

Museum address: Calle Suytuccatu 705, San Blas, Cusco, Peru

4. Planetarium of Cuzco

The height of 3350 meters above sea level, where Cuzco is located, brings this city closer to the sky and the Gods. The stars played a huge role in the development of all great civilizations, and the Inca Empire was no exception.Planetarium is a company that organizes outing evening excursions to a place where you can gaze at the stars. They will tell you about the astronomy of the Incas, the most important constellations for them, how the life of the inhabitants was associated with the movement of the stars, etc.

Tours are available daily, but advance booking is required.

Planetarium website:http://www.planetariumcusco.com/

5. Chocolate Museum (Choco Museo)

Peru is a producer and exporter of cocoa beans. In 2010, at the main chocolate exhibition in Paris (Salon du Chocolat), cocoa beans from Peru were recognized as the most fragrant and received an award.

At the Chocolate Museum in Cusco, everyone will be told about the process of making chocolate and will be offered to taste bar and hot chocolate. The museum conducts master classes on making chocolate and organizes trips to cocoa plantations.

Museum website: http://www.chocomuseo.com/english/our-locations/cusco-per/

6. Central market of San Pedro (Mercado Central de San Pedro)

This market is definitely worth a visit! Here you can spend the whole day wandering between counters with imaginable and unthinkable goods: souvenirs, alpaca sweaters, colored scarves, fresh fruits and vegetables, dozens of types of corn and potatoes, coffee, chocolate, cheese, bread, coca leaves in bulk from huge bags , traditional medicine ingredients - potency-increasing frogs and various dried insects. And if the walk tires you, you can reinforce your strength with juice, which will be squeezed out right in front of you. Locals also come to San Pedro for lunch: traditional Peruvian dishes are prepared here and are quite inexpensive.

The market opens at 5.30 am and closes at 17.30.

Neighborhoods of Cusco

7. Archaeological Park Sacsayhuaman (Saqsaywaman, Sacsayhuaman)

The ruins of Saksayhuaman, Kenko, Tambomachai and Puka-Pukara make up the Sacsayhuaman archaeological park.

Sacsayuman, located on a mountain above the main districts of Cusco, during the time of the Incas was one of the parts of the city. And if Cusco itself was designed in the shape of a cougar silhouette, Saxayuman served as the cougar's head. Various sources disagree about the purpose of this area. For many years it was believed that there was a military fortification here. But modern researchers adhere to the version that it was a residential area with rich houses of the nobility, temples and squares where religious ceremonies were held.

Despite the fact that the Spaniards dismantled buildings and took stones to build their churches, the ruins of this area are still amazing today! The walls are 6-9 meters high, consisting of perfectly matched stone blocks, each weighing from 128 to 200 tons! It is believed that about 20,000 people were involved in the construction of this architectural complex.

It is here that the Inti Raymi holiday is celebrated annually on June 24 - the Festival dedicated to the God of the Sun.

Kenko (Kenko, Quenco, Q "inqu)

Located 3 km from Cusco in the direction of the Sacred Valley. In Quechua, the name of this place means “serpentine, winding” - perhaps this name is associated with serpentine channels for water. Made in the form of an amphitheater, Kenko could have been both an altar and a tribune - the exact purpose is unknown. Here, as in a number of other sacred places, there is an observatory for observing the stars and tracking the equinox.

Tambomachay

The name Tambomachai in Quechua means “resting place”. 5-6 kilometers from Cusco, a "water resort" was built for the Inca Supreme. Tambomachai was dedicated to the cult of water, magnificent canals, aqueducts, cascades were created here. Excellent engineering skills allowed the builders to create 2 cascades, water from which flows at the same speed - if you put 2 bottles under them, they will be filled at the same time.

8. Statue of Christ (Cristo Blanco)

The statue of Christ is installed on a hill above Cusco, next to Sacsayhuaman. It was donated to Cusco in 1945 by the Palestinians as a token of gratitude for the fact that Cuzco served as their refuge during the Second World War.

9.

The name Tipon is a distorted version of the Quechua word T'impuy, which means "where the water boils." The place was named so due to the large number of underground springs.Researchers believe that the building was completed during the reign of the Inca Viracocha, but judging by the architectural style and characteristics of the buildings, Tipon is closer to the Inca Pachacuteca period.

Tipon was an agricultural research center. The geometric correctness in the construction of terraces is striking. The magnificent irrigation canals are still functioning, and this is a significant achievement of the Incas - even modern Peruvians do not know how to solve water problems so wonderfully.

In the intervals between harvests, festive ceremonies took place on the terraces.

10.

The ruins of Piquillakta are located about 30 kilometers southeast of Cusco. From the Quechua language, the name of the city is translated as "city of fleas". Most likely, the name is a comic metaphor for the relatively small size of this place - "a tiny (flea-sized) city". Nevertheless, Pikilyakta was a very important cultural and administrative center of the Wari Preink culture in the 6th-9th centuries AD.

November 15, 2012, 17:19

Moray, Peru.
The giant concentric Moraya platforms are one of the most important and interesting sites in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. In 1932, members of the Shippee-Johnson expedition flew over the Vilcanota Valley in search of some sight hidden between the mountain ranges. A year earlier, they had rediscovered the Colca Canyon and the Volcano Valley, and now they were planning to find something interesting in the heart of the Inca empire. Near the village of Maras, they found what they were looking for: a huge system of circular terraces that no one had ever seen. These were the Moraya platforms, one of the most important engineering structures erected by the Incas, and perhaps even by an older civilization that preceded them.
The ancient city of Moray can be called the agricultural laboratory of the Incas. It is worth noting here several circular terraces, which were probably used to study the effects of different climatic conditions on crops. Some artificial craters are up to 30 meters deep and have a special orientation towards the sun and wind, which creates a temperature difference of up to 15 ° C between the upper and lower terraces. Many of the most important achievements of Inca agriculture continue to be the basis for the agricultural activities of the Cusco region, its environs and other mountainous regions, whose inhabitants still appreciate the outstanding achievements of their ancestors in agricultural engineering. Wiñay Wayna, Peru. The Inca City of Wignay Huayna is built on a hillside overlooking the Urubamba River. The Wynyai Huayna ruins are composed of an upper and lower complex of buildings connected by a structure of stairs and fountains. Agricultural terraces are located next to the houses. Coricancha, Peru. The Coricancha Temple is located in the city of Cuzco. Originally called Inti Kancha, which literally means "Temple of the Sun", it was the most important temple of the Inca Empire. Its walls and floors were once covered with sheets of pure gold, and the courtyard was filled with golden statues.
About 4,000 priests once lived within it. Coricancha also served as the main astronomical observatory. Like many other Inca monuments, the temple suffered greatly from the conquistadors, who later built the Christian Cathedral of Santo Domingo on its ruins. Severe earthquakes damaged the church and exposed the walls of the ancient temple, built of huge, tightly interconnected stone blocks that still stand thanks to intricate stonework.
Llactapata, Peru.
The ruins are located along the Inca trail at an altitude of 2840 meters above sea level. In Quechua, the name can be interpreted as "High City". It was probably used for the production and storage of crops. Llaktapata was burned by the Inca emperor Manco Inca Yupanqui during his retreat to discourage Spanish persecution. Thanks in part to these efforts, the Spaniards did not find traces of the Incas and some other ancient cities.

Isla del Sol, Bolivia.
Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) is a rocky hilly island located in the territory of modern Bolivia, located in the southern part of Lake Titicaca. According to the Inca religion, this was the first land to appear after the waters of the flood began to recede and the sun appeared over the island to illuminate the sky once more. In honor of the birth of the Sun God, several sacred sites were built on the island. In particular, the Sacred Labyrinth called Chicana, Kasa Pata and Pilco Kaima complexes.
Sacsayhuaman, Peru.
Sacsayhuaman is a complex of unknown purpose, built in the form of a stone wall high above the city of Cusco. According to one version, these are the remains of an ancient fortress. The ruins of Sacsayhuaman are the clearest example of the skill of prehistoric builders. There are many versions, sometimes very strange, of the creation of such buildings. According to one of them, plant sap was used to dissolve rock. The Spaniards believed that the builders turned to demons for help. Relating to all hypotheses in different ways, we can unequivocally say about one thing: the unknown creators of this inexplicable miracle possessed much greater knowledge than we do. The fortress was built of tightly fitted blocks that even modern machines could not budge. Building blocks have not only an unbearable weight (some blocks weigh up to 500 tons), but also filigree processing, which in its most delicate work is not subject even to today's stone processing technology. It seems that andesite (the most durable stone on earth) was processed by the ancient builders of these blocks as plasticine, which can be easily carved, which can be stamped into any shape. Today, such a complex configuration can only be made by pouring liquid concrete into prepared molds.
A number of scientists suggest that the rock was previously softened or melted in an unknown way, and already in place stones were cast from them - a kind of bricks - of the required shape. The largest stone weighs approximately 360 tons and has at least 12 corners. He is taller than a person standing at full height. It is possible that, like other megalithic structures in Peru and Bolivia, Sacsayhuaman was built by a mysterious and powerful civilization that existed long before the Inca empire. According to one of the legends, the Saxahuaman fortress, the cities of Cuzco and Machu Picchu were built by viracochi - white bearded demigod aliens who mastered the art of softening and hardening stone. But how they delivered these blocks here, tens of kilometers away, remains unclear. Pisac, Peru.
Pisak is a Quechua word meaning "partridge". The Inca tradition dictated the construction of cities in the form of animals and birds, thus, Pisac is a city built in the shape of a partridge. The ruins include military fortresses, religious temples and individual residential buildings overlooking the Sacred Valley, located between the Salkantay Mountains.
It is believed that Pisac protected the southern entrance to the valley and controlled the routes linking the Inca Empire at the border of the rainforest. Choquequirao, Peru.
The name Choquequirao means "cradle of gold" in Quechua. Although it was discovered in 1909, excavation of Choquequirao did not begin until the 1970s. It was exactly the same cult and religious center as Machu Picchu.
The city of Choquequirao is located at an altitude of 3085 meters above the Apurimac Valley, and occupies 1800 hectares of territory. He was on the way between the Amazon jungle and the city of Cuzco. Choquequirao buildings are located at different levels, descending from a truncated peak, measuring 30x50 meters, to the lowest level, called Sunchu Pato.
The typical Inca terraces are the largest structures in the city. The temple, several administrative buildings and residential quarters of the nobility are located around the central square. Residential buildings are located on the outskirts. There are numerous water channels and water sources. Most of the buildings are well preserved.
The city is still only partially cleared of the jungle that swallowed it, so it is difficult to imagine its true size. It is surrounded by the deepest canyons, and according to the testimony of the pilgrims who visited it, there is a feeling that it soars in the heights, because it is at an altitude of over three thousand meters, and it is very difficult to get to it.
This fact, however, did not prevent the ancient builders from erecting regular Cyclopean buildings on it. The flat, as if cut off top of the city, resembles an airfield. From here begins a wild mountain trail that connects this city with Machu Picchu. After the invasion of the conquistadors, the city served as an outpost guarding the entrance to the territory of Vilcabamba, where the Great Inca Manco Inca Yupanqui fled. And somewhere in these mountains, according to legend, numerous caravans with Inca gold disappeared without a trace. Ollantaytambo, Peru. The region of the city of Cusco is rich in numerous ruins of ancient buildings, almost all of which are megalithic structures. The same giant blocks as in the walls of Sacsayhuaman can be found in Ollantaytambo, located 60 km north-west of the city of Cuzco. Ollantaytambo lies about 3000 meters above sea level. The name of this small settlement means "the storeroom of my God" in the local Quechua dialect. The central attraction of this place is the remains of an ancient city with numerous terraces scattered along the slopes of the valley.

As in Sacsayhuaman, in Ollantaytambo one can see the layering of Inca structures on the later megalithic structures. From the photographs, you can see that giant building blocks are found only on the top of the mountain (scattered), as well as in the first row of terraces. All other buildings (including the terraces themselves) are built of small cobblestones.
Machu Picchu, Peru. Probably, the most correct way to tell about Machu Picchu is to report that officially nothing is known about the city so plainly: - it is not known exactly when and who built the city. - it is not known why the city was built on this inaccessible cliff sandwiched between two mountains - it is not known what the city was called - it is not known why this city was built - it is not known who lived in this city - it is not known why the city was abandoned.
Well, and then - they compose, who in what way. Archaeologists compose, historians compose, researchers compose, writers compose, paranormal seekers compose.
Incidentally, Machu Picchu is not the real name of an Inca settlement. This name was given to the city by the locals, but we will most likely never know the real name, just as we will not know how many Incas lived in this fortress and why they even needed to build a city so far from the center of their state, and even on the top of the mountain. , at an altitude of 2057 meters ... American Hiram Bingemu spent several years in search of Machu Picchu, until July 24, 1911 he was finally lucky.
Neither the Spanish conquistadors who captured Peru in the 16th century, nor those who came here after them, nor the Incas themselves, who lived in Machu Picchu, have left any written evidence that the city exists. Most likely, the Spaniards could not even think that there was an Inca settlement on one of the mountains. The abandoned ancient city was discovered only at the beginning of the 20th century ...