| Attractions |
Two areas near Cuzco that feature some superlative religious architecture are
the shrines of Qenqo and Tambomachay. Qenqo is a vast rocky hilltop carved into
staircases, holes and channels, probably built to store the chicha (fermented
maize beer) used in Inca rituals. The site features a semi-circular patio studded
with several large niches surrounding a stone figure embedded within a chamber,
rather like an idol inside its own shrine. Tambomachay is another fine example
of Inca architecture made up of platforms, niches and fountains which still
function today, as water flows down through them from a spring higher up in
the hills. In Inca times, this was a sacred site used for worship of the water
deity, one of the shrines that made up the Cuzco ceque, the system of imaginary
grid lines that irradiated out to sacred spots or indicated the time and place
of the ceremonies |
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