Five hundred years ago, the Inca Emperor Huayna Capac constructed a building complex called Ingapirca, or Inca’s Wall. It remains a living testimony that unveils a lost culture that once was, in fact, bigger than the Roman Empire.
In the Ecuadorian city of Cañar, 1200mi north from Machu Picchu, this magnificent construction was erected between valleys and mountains where llamas and alpacas graze, a place among eucalyptus and potato fields covered by the fog and the modest rain.
When arriving to Ingapirca, the contrast of colors between the landscape and the construction is the first thing that gets the attention. It’s impossible not to wonder what did the place look like five hundred years ago, when there where buildings such as a room constructed in alignment with the moon where religious rituals and cults to this natural satellite took place; a big plaza used for celebrations that could gather more than 3000 people; an exclusive area for “The Sun Virgins”, women chosen at the age of 12 to serve the High Priests that would sometimes cook the meals for the sun festival; and a room used only for the priests’ prayers.
Perhaps the most impressive construction of this complex is the Ingapirca Castle, which is the only known oval-shaped Inca building, erected as a cult to the Sun god. The perfect alignment with the sun (at 0°) that the Incas made with this construction provides the best illumination for its rooms during the solstices of June and December. This also reveals their advanced astrological knowledge.
In the surroundings of Ingapirca we can appreciate some elements that feed the mystery of this culture. Such is the case of the “Inca Face”, a mountainous formation that reveals a possibly genuine shape of a face. Another element is the “Moon Calendar”, a stone with several holes that were filled with water, serving as mirrors where the Incas could see the moon’s reflection and in this way tell the date. Finally, there is the “Inca Trail”, a 31mi route (3 days walking distance) starting at the village of Achullapas and leading to Ingapirca. This route allows us to see and live the same trail the Incas once walked.
All these astonishing features take us to the time where the king, the priests, the Inca society, their buildings and the environment, all interacted to create the legend of The Incas, a culture that, in spite of being already extinct, still surprises us. As you will discover, Ingapirca is an archaeological complex that connects us with the Inca experience. It is not just about its construction, but also about its culture. It’s an encounter with the world’s origins and with ourselves, a feeling of inner peace.
Ingapirca is a journey to ancient times, and what is experienced there, becomes unforgettable. At the end of the visit, and according to the Incas’ belief, a part of the visitor stays in the place, as a part of the Inca soul stays in the visitor.
Photo: jrubinic
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