OLLANTAYTAMBO, THE LAST INCA VILLAGE

 

 

 

 This unique and mysterious archaeological site is located at the farthest end of Cusco but also the closest to Machu Picchu, exactly 65 kilometers from Cusco and 43 kilometers from Machu Picchu, at 2,792 meters above sea level. Its strategic location, and its construction, which defied the laws of physics and the limited space required to lift enormous boulders to the top of a mountain, still remains a mystery.

 

  

 

 The origin of this ceremonial temple dates back to the period in which the Inca PACHACUTEC ruled (1,418 to 1,471 AD) although archaeological findings have determined that there was already a construction that dates back to the pre-Inca era, (Wari culture 600 AD) it was when the Incas took control of this valley that they built a prodigious and very important temple for the worship of the Sun, until a little before Ollantaytambo served as a place of control in the sacred valley.

 

  

 

Ollantaytambo had a very important meaning for the Incas in the military context since here the most transcendent victory of the Incas against the Spanish took place, history tells that in this place the rebel Inca MANCO INCA defended the place by flooding the entire area including the fields and terraces near the temple, to stop the advance of the Spanish cavalry and then hire from the high areas of the nearby mountains and it is that before the fall of Cusco into the hands of the Spanish, Ollantaytambo became a focus of resistance for the Incas.

 

 

Among what we can find in this important archaeological complex we have the CEREMONIAL PLAZA known as "aracma ayllu", we will also see the octagonal houses that are divided into blocks, THE FORTRESS OF THE SUN is a beautiful structure made up of 17 superimposed terraces made of pink granite that continue until reaching the top of the mountain, tourists who visit this sector must climb its 150 steep stone steps.

  

But perhaps the most important sector given its function and significance is the TEMPLE OF THE SUN, it is one of the most impressive moments of the Sacred Valley, which is believed to have never been finished, whose construction was interrupted with the arrival of the Spanish, of that temple still remain 6 enormous monoliths of pink granite that were brought from a quarry located more than 4 kilometers away and perfectly fitted together forming a stony and cyclopean wall on which there were high relief sculptures with representations of the chakana (Inca cross) of felines, jaguars and pumas.

  

 Unfortunately, the temple was devastated during the war between the Incas and the Spanish, and the high-relief friezes that decorated these sacred walls were erased to prevent the Inca people from continuing to worship these gods.

  

But Ollantaytambo is not just an archaeological site, but also a vibrant town that preserves its traditions and much of its original architecture, with its narrow cobblestone streets, original walls, and canals that have functioned since the time of the Incas. It truly seems as if time has stood still here. Now, the train station is located here, bringing thousands of tourists every day eager to explore the lost city of the Incas.

 

 

 Furthermore, from here, the 4-day expeditions depart, covering the world-famous INKA TRAIL or the Inca trail through spectacular landscapes and archaeological sites hidden among the mountains until finally reaching Machu Picchu.