Qorikancha

Meaning

A wall of dark stone, fitted so close no blade can enter, curves in a gentle arc, and above it a white church rises. Where the walls are said to have once been sheathed in gold to honor the sun, Inca stone and colonial wall run on as one body.

Inca tradition holds it was the empire's most sacred temple, honoring the sun god Inti with walls sheathed in plates of gold; 'Qorikancha' means 'golden enclosure' in Quechua. After the conquest the church of Santo Domingo was built upon its stonework, yet the curved Inca wall, unshaken by earthquakes, still joins the two ages in one place.

Field notes

Location

쿠스코 · Peru · S13.5° · W72.0°

Best time

Early morning in clear light, when the sun falls on the curved wall

Getting there

A short walk from the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, to see the Inca stonework, the church of Santo Domingo, and the Inca chambers within.

Etiquette

A church and a sacred site together; visitors follow worship and viewing rules and walk quietly.

Sources

• · UNESCO World Heritage
• · Encyclopaedia Britannica

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