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Ollantaytambo |
If Cuszco was the
seat of power in the Inca Empire, then Ollantaytambo in the Sacred
Valley was the site of the Royal estates which provided a respite from
the official functions of State. The entire site of Ollantaytambo
was the royal estate of the Inca Pachacuteq. This accounts for the
quality of the construction and stonework in the site and for the scale
of the ceremonial structures there. |
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The entire complex
of Ollantaytambo is very extensive. It includes the palace and temple
area, the town, quarries for the large stones, storehouses for food,
irrigation, terraces, defensive structures. The town itself is an
example of Inca town planning in the layout of the Cancha residential
squares. |
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The sequence
leading up to the Temple Sector begins at the foot of the central stairs
in the plaza. The observer is dwarfed by the massive terraces that fill
the ravine. At the top of the sixth terrace the path moves to the left
and the observer ascends along the edge of the terraces. The space has
closed around the observer by now and one begins to experience the space
on a more intimate and less massive scale. Ascending further the
observer turns a tight corner while climbing stairs and tops out on the
level of the Unfinished Gate and the Wall of Ten Niches. The door of the
Gate is a unique double-jam style but since we do not know where it was
intended to lead, or its purpose, we can only guess at its significance.
Following the terrace past the Gate leads to the Wall of Ten Niches.
This was likely a finished room at one time but now only one door and
the wall remain. Click here to see
a Quicktime movie of the Unfinished Gate and the Wall of Ten Niches.
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Sacred
Valley 2 |
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