Qorikancha

The name means Gold Building (perhaps a hexagon) in Incan. It was the most important Incan temple - the Sun Temple - and it was built using only perfectly cut stone. It was also built to resist earthquakes, which it did successfully. This form of building came to exemplify the power of the Incas. At one point the walls were covered with gold, and many gold vases and items had been set in the niches. He even had the bodies of 7 deceased Incans, covered them with masks and gold, and placed them on benches. When the Spaniards arrived and captured Atahualpa, they demanded a ransom in gold, most of which came from the Sun Temple. In the temple is also a mural showing how the Incans looked at the stars. Rather than look at the stars themselves, they looked at the black space between the stars, and within the Milky Way they saw a serpent, a puma, and a few other animals. I hope to be able to see them in the Galapagos. Also, the Spaniards tore down much of the temple but they built on top of the foundation built by the Incas. When an earthquake struck, the Spanish portion collapsed, but the Inca portion held, thanks to their system of interlocking blocks and inclined walls. I have loved seeing the brilliance of ancient cultures. In college I studied the Aztec and Mayans more than the Incas, and all had quite sophisticated building techniques - all without mechanical labor. So interesting.