Inca Complex at Písac

A large Inca complex spanning over 4 sq km along a mountain ridge above the town of Pisac in Peru's Sacred Valley, about 30 km from Cusco. Attributed to Emperor Pachacuti, the site served military, religious, and agricultural functions and is divided into sections including the Intihuatana (a D-shaped ceremonial enclosure with an astronomical sun-tracking stone), Q'allaq'asa, and the Tankanamarka Cemetery -- the largest Inca burial ground in South America with approximately 1,000 tombs. The complex features 40 agricultural terraces at Ajachapata and about 20 lookout towers. In 1983 the Pisac National Archeological Park was established to protect the site.