Sacsayhuamán

Sacsayhuamán or Saksaywaman is a citadel on the northern outskirts of the city of Cusco, Peru, the historic capital of the Inca Empire [1]. The site is an important example of Inca architecture and sits at an altitude of 3,701 metres [1]. The Spanish chroniclers recorded that within the Inca's oral history, the fortress was said to be built during the reign of Sapa Inca Pachacuti and his successors, Topa Inca Yupanqui and Huayna Capac [1]. Dry stone walls constructed of huge stones were built on the site, with the workers carefully cutting the boulders to fit them together tightly without mortar [1]. Archeological studies of surface collections of pottery at Sacsayhuamán indicate that the earliest occupation of the hilltop dates to about 900 CE [1]. During the 15th century, the Imperial Inca expanded on this settlement, building dry stone walls constructed of huge stones [1].