Why Saqsawaman Is One Of The Best Monuments On Earth

Why is Saqsawaman one of the key Inca structures ?

One of the most powerful monuments to Inca military power and masonry is the triple saw-toothed parapets of Saqsawaman, that overlook Cusco .The Incas were the Romans of ancient America, who conquered not only other tribes but also the stones of the Andes .

Just like everything great , that a human mind can’t explain , Saqsaywaman is believed to have been built not by the Incas or even pre – incas but extraterrestrial beings with superior technology

There are simply no other walls like this . Because of the very unique structure of the wall , the quality of this masonry construction – Saqsawaman is considered to be one of the best monuments that mankind has ever built .

They are different from Stonehenge, different from the Pyramids of the Egyptians and the Maya, different from any of the other ancient monolithic stone-works.

Saqsawaman tour from Cusco

The stones are so perfectly fit , not single paper would not fit between them.. Not even a hair ! How did pre – incas made it work ? They were known to be working without mortar . This 200 tons stones are among the largest that were ever used in any construction in prehispanic America.

Sexy Woman ?

There are more spellings of Sacsayhuaman than there are recipes for Pisco Sour.

Saksaywaman or Saqsawaman, Saksaq Waman meaning ‘Royal Eagle’or “place where the hawk is”

Local guides make it easier on foreigners by pronounced by saying ‘sexy woman’, this is definitely the name you memorize quick . 

How big is Saqsaywaman ?

The fortress was the largest structure built by the Incas... or not. Most likely it was built by a pre-Inca culture called the Killke around 1100 A.D.

Saksaywaman is situated on a hill, high above the city of Cusco . This is why it is often thought to be a fortress that could fit 1,000 warriors, but why would the Incas need a fortress of they rarely suffered any invasions ?

Saksaywaman was also the location for Inca ceremonies and a major Inca storage depot . 

Incan structures are often built in the shape of an animal. In this case , if Cusco is built in the shape of puma , the hill of Sacsayhuaman its head.

They are three parallel walls built in different levels with lime-stones of enormous sizes; zigzagging walls that because of their appearance it is suggested that they represent the “teeth” of the puma’s head that the complex represented.

The Sacsayhuaman did operate as a fortress during the Spanish conquest of Peru. After the siege, the Spaniards used this magnificent structure as a source from where they can collect stones to build the Spanish Cusco. Block by block, the complex was destroyed for the Spanish buildings of the colonial city.

Garcilaso de la Vega wrote:

“….this fortress surpasses the constructions known as the seven wonders of the world. For in the case of a long broad wall like that of Babylon, or the colossus of Rhodes, or the pyramids of Egypt, or the other monuments, one can see clearly how they were executed…how, by summoning an immense body of workers and accumulating more and more material day by day and year by year, they overcame all difficulties by employing human effort over a long period.”

How to get to Saqsaywaman

Sacsayhuaman is only a 10 minutes taxi ride from the old Cusco city center .

A 30 minutes walk from the Plaza de Armas.

There are many guided tours to Saqsawaman from Cusco .

Saqsaywaman Ruins Hours and Costs

Sacsayhuamán is open every day from 7 am to 6 pm .

Single entry is $15

But if you have a bolero turistico that covers 17 sights , it’s free

Saqsaywaman Facts

Sacsayhuaman is home to several festivals every year, the most important being Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun which takes place on 24 June (the Winter Solstice).