Pikillaqta

Pikillaqta is a major Wari culture archaeological complex located 33 km southeast of Cusco at 3,250 m elevation, occupied from approximately 550 to 1100 AD. Built around the 7th century during Wari expansion, it served as one of the empire's most important administrative and ceremonial centers. The fortified complex covers 25 hectares and contains about 700 buildings, 200 courts, and 508 storage structures, many reaching two to three stories, arranged in a remarkably geometric design. The site's abandonment was marked by a massive fire, with the Wari sealing and protecting structures as if intending to return. The Incas later reoccupied parts of the complex.