Business Hours: Monday to Friday: 9 am - 6 pm Peruvian Time Zone: GMT -5 hours
UK toll free number is temporary out of service. Please be so kind to contact us by clicking here
Dear clients, please note that our office will be closed on Thursday May 15th and Friday May 16th (non labourable days) due to local holidays; we'll resume our duties on Monday May 19th. Thank you for your understanding
Towards the south, across the Dry Moat, we find
the Urban Sector. Between the Sun Temple and the Royal Palace lies
the "Fountain Street". This offers a series of 16 Liturgical Pools,
water sources better known in the region as paqchas. This sequence
of fountains or reservoirs is supplied with water from a spring
one kilometer away, letting the water flow gently down to different
levels.
In Inca society, water was always considered to be a special deity.
Consequently, there wer
e special fountains and reservoirs for its worship. The main
fountain was located in front of a simple three-walledbuilding known
in Inca architecture as a Wayrana, a ceremonial center where the
Willaq Uma (High Priest) carried out different ceremonies in worship
of water. The only reason that water does not flow down these courses
today is because the tourist hotel is using it. Originally, water
was brought from springs located behind Machu Picchu mountain.
THE MAIN TEMPLE
This is located north of the Sacred Plaza, very close to the Three-Windowed
Temple. It is 11 m long by 8 m wide. It is a wayrana -type temple,
meaning that it has only three walls built with rectangular stones.
In the temple are seven trapeze-shaped niches on the central wall
and five on each side wall.
Behind the Main Temple there is a small room known as the Chamber
of Ornaments. Due to its situation, it must have been closely
linked in function to the temple. At the bottom of the back wall
there is a low platform, like a stone seat or bed, that to Western
eyes has merited the name of "the sacristy" of the Main Temple.
Today, looking towards the northeast, one can see that the central
wall of the temple has been moved. Archaeological digs have shown
that the movements were due to rainwater seepage, although some
geologists suggest the real reason is a minor geological fault
existing at that point. They also indicate the presence of a similar
fault under the Sun Temple. The deity worshipped in this main
temple remains unknown. However, historians claim it may have
been Wiraqocha, the invisible chief Andean god. Facing this temple
there is a small outcrop of stone carving that some authors claim
represents the Southern Cross, although this has not been proved.
Call our TOLL FREE number:
USA: 1-888-317-3383 UK: 0-800-097-1749
Towards the south, across the Dry Moat, we find
the Urban Sector. Between the Sun Temple and the Royal Palace lies
the "Fountain Street". This offers a series of 16 Liturgical Pools,
water sources better known in the region as paqchas. This sequence
of fountains or reservoirs is supplied with water from a spring
one kilometer away, letting the water flow gently down to different
levels.
