Qenko

Q'enqo (Quechua for 'labyrinth') is a major Inca huaca complex located about 6 km northeast of Cusco, Peru, and is one of the largest sacred sites in the Cusco Region. The site features an underground sacrificial chamber with a stone slab altar, zigzag channels carved into rock that likely transported ceremonial chicha or sacrificial llama blood, and a semi-circular amphitheatre with carved niches. A carved stone known as the Qenqo puma casts a puma-shaped shadow during the winter solstice, reflecting Inca astronomical knowledge. The site served as a sanctuary for ceremonies honoring Inti (the Sun), the Moon, and symbolic Andean animals.