Inca Empire
According to legend the first Inca rulers Manco Inca and Mama Ocllo came forth from the Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca. They united warring tribes under a common language, Quechua and a unified religion to create what became one of the most fabulous of ancient empires Tawantinsuyo. Over time, they spread the empire from Ecuador to Chile.
Another legend has it that when the Spanish forces reached Cuzco, the Incas took the two-ton gold chain of Inca Huascar from the temple at Koricancha and threw it into the lake. It has never been found although some years ago Jacques Cousteau mounted an expedition to explore the lake with a mini-submarine.
"The essence of Inca architecture cannot be distilled into a single word.
Three themes demand recognition: precision, functionality, and austerity.
The Inca stonefitters worked stone with a precision unparalleled in human
history; their architects clearly esteemed functionality above decoration;
yet their constructions achieved breathtaking beauty through austerity of
line and juxtaposition of masses. The Inca seem to have presaged Mies Van der
Rohe's philosophy of 'less is more'."
The Incan city is laid out functionally: the northern half tends to be
high ritual areas while the southern side contains the domestic residences. The builders used the natural contours
of the mountain, plus the large boulders already in place. Since the production
of crops was necessary, agricultural terraces abound.
Machu Picchu is an architectural wonder with the Incan trapezoidal building techniques
very evident. The walls of the buildings are of varying heights and though much of
the ruins have been excavated one can wonder what lies yet to be discovered.
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Photo from ArtToday
Photo from ArtToday
"Cuzco Capital of the Inca Empire was
designed in the shape of the Puma.
Modern Cuzco built on the
foundations of the Inca Cuzco is
bustling and vivid with fascinating
street markets good restaurants,
magnificent cathedrals and the nearby
ruins of Sacsayhuaman."
from South American Expeditions
Within walking distance of Cuzco, these ruins are now less
than 20% of what they were before the Spaniards destroyed
the fortress after defeating Manco Inca here. The fortress plays a big
part in the annual festival of Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun.
Photo from ArtToday
Inca architecture, if not destroyed by Spanish conquistadores and used for other building
purposes, lasts through the ages for the traditional method of placing stones so
accurately that no mortar is needed.
from INCA ARCHITECTURE, Less is More--Much More!
Machu Picchu, one of the top destinations of the world, is a
tremendously fascinating and archaologically important site with palaces,
temples, plazas, homes, steps and terraces. At an altitude of
2,400 meters (some 8,000 ft.) above sea level, it enjoys a semi-tropical climate.
The mist floating over the peaks and down the hillside enhances the mystical
atmosphere.
Photo from ArtToday
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