Saqsayhuaman, Cuzco

Construction on this structure began in the second half of the 15th century by order of the ruling Pachacutec Inca but had not yet been completed upon the arrival of the Spaniards. A magnificent sample of Inca architecture, it has enormous walls of granite block forming three immense superimposed terraces in a zigzag pattern. It served religious, administrative and possibly military purposes. Its proximity to Cusco and the size of its stones (some five meters tall and weighing more than 300 tons) led to its use as a quarry for the construction of colonial Cusco. The annual June Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun) takes place here.