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The whole complex
is another National Archaeological Park. It is located
in the Ollantaytambo district, province of Urubamba.
The town is about 76 Kms. (47.2 miles) away from Qosqo
by the road Chinchero - Urubamba and about 68 Kms.
(42.2 miles) by railway; at an altitude of 2700 mts.
(8856 ft.). |
It is a very vast complex which central part is in the town
and its surroundings; traveling from Qosqo, from Pachar there
is a large amount of farming terraces that are already part
of the complex. Those terraces are deteriorated and most of
them abandoned; it is sad to observe that the enormous work
for constructing them, today is not appraised with some minimum
conservation policies. The water that irrigated them does
not flow any more. Their stone aqueducts that were a master
work of engineering were extended by many kilometers; but,
today they do not exist any more in most of the cases. The
reason for that, is simply that today no one is preoccupied
with keeping them and because we had three centuries in which
conquerors were not interested in agriculture but only in
mining gold and silver.
Farther down are the strongholds of Choqana on the left bank
of the Urubamba River, and Inkapintay on the right bank; they
were part of the complex protective system for the Inkan urban
core. Advancing downstream are the foundations of an Inkan
Bridge, its central base is impressive and was made with huge
stone blocks. Before that central base there are two enormous
boulders placed for protecting it efficaciously as a mole
breaking waters of the river into two. Likewise, on both river
banks are the two solid lateral bases of that bridge. Originally,
that was a suspension bridge made with braided fibers of "ichu"
the local wild bunch grass, or maguey (Agave americana). Because
those materials do not last forever the bridge must have been
renewed annually. Going on by road, about ½ Km. away
from the bridge is the great ancient main gate of the Ollantaytambo
Inkan City; it was part of a surrounding wall and is named
today as " Llaqta-Punku" (Town Gate).
Ollantaytambo is a compound Quechua word that is derived from
" Ollanta" that is a personal name, and " Tambo"
that is a Spanish form of " Tanpu" that refers about
a city that offered lodgings, food and comfort for travelers.
"Ollanta" is the name of an Inka Captain whose history
was kept as an oral tradition and written as drama by Antonio
Valdez, a priest from Urubamba, by the middle of the XVIII
century; it was adapted for a theatrical play and opened in
1780. It is apparently since then when "Ollantaytambo"
(Ollanta's tambo) began being used to name the town where
events of the drama were carried out. The Ollantay Drama is
considered as a classical work of Quechua literature and tells
the story of a captain named Ollanta, extraneous to the Cusquenian
nobility and who formed part of Inka Pachakuteq's army. He
was distinguished among the others because of his bravery
and great skill, but had a secret love affair with the monarch's
daughter named Kusi Qoyllur. When trying to marry her officially
his request was considered illegal because the rules in force
forbade marriage between persons of different social status.
Disappointed the young captain went deeply into Ollantaytambo
and incited its population to rebellion against the imperial
army, causing a war for a whole decade. He was finally captured
thanks to a trick of captain Rumiñawi who appeared
as having been vexed and thrown out from Qosqo and succeeded
convincing Ollanta in order to get asylum; but, during the
night when everyone slept he opened the city gates allowing
the Qosqo army's entrance and the capture of Ollanta who was
taken to the capital. Fortunately for him, when he arrived
in Qosqo the Inka Pachakuteq was already dead, his son being
the new sovereign who was told about the true story, and with
wise clemency allowed the marriage of the two lovers from
whose old relationship a girl had been born and whose name
was Ima Sumaq. It is a story with a happy ending that nowadays
is very popular in Peruvian schools that in many cases stimulate
its performance.
Ollantaytambo was a very important fortified city, built as
a "tanpu" and also in order to enable control of
the roads toward the "Antisuyo" (jungle). According
to many historians also in order to allow protection of the
great Inkan Capital from attacks of the "Antis",
their worst enemies. Today, its name as "fortress"
is common, which in practice is improper because it did not
have just a warlike or protective duty; but, that of a complex
city with an ample urban sector and religious temples. As
a fortified city, it had some protective elements, among them
a protective wall with few entrances surrounding the town,
many "pukaras" or strongholds and watch towers strategically
located. Besides, for the noble population dwelling in this
city there was a very ample and well planned urban sector,
a plaza surrounded by important buildings and toward the town's
south an impressive "Kallanka"; that is, a building
which dimensions are colossal and completely roofed. It served
as a lodge and perhaps also as barracks for the numerous army
of the region.
The present-day town is located in the same site where the
urban sector was in Inkan times. It is really interesting
because it is the only spot in Peru where it is possible to
find people living in the same buildings that served as homes
for the nobility of the Inkan Society. Some of its narrow
streets still keep their water channels where very clean water
flowed for the population use; they are by the middle or at
one side. The streets still maintain their Inkan names. The
town was divided in rectangular blocks with a very well planned
geometrical layout giving the impression of being a town designed
by modern architects. Every block was compound of two "kanchas"
(apartments); the street gates had double jamb doorways which
indicate that those were real palaces with rooms around a
central patio. At least the lower part of the buildings is
original and made with "pirka" type walls that were
covered with a clay coat and possibly also had mural paintings.
Today, their thatched roofs were replaced by red tiles and
it is possible to breath a certain air of modernity as the
town has electricity and tap water; but in short, the town
has still an Inkan taste. Some decades ago in Ollantaytambo,
a worldwide meeting of the "Indian" representatives
was carried out and they declared this town as the "
World Capital of Indianity". By that time there were
some efforts willing to help for an effective conservation
of original structures; in practice, it is so little what
was and is done for that purpose, and it is so sad to prove
that many of its innate elements are being lost slowly.
Towards the town's east is the Pinkuylluna hill (pinkuyllo
= wind musical instrument similar to the "quena"
or Andean flute) where an imposing huge building stands out
and about which there is a lot of myth. Some very imaginative
"scholars" argue that it's been a school, a hospital
some others, jail others, and even a hurling precipice!; according
to archaeology and the Inkan architectonic characterization
it was a "Qollqa" or "Pirwa"; that is,
a granary or storehouse for food, clothing and weapons for
local army. It has many doorways and openings that allowed
ventilation, and surely they were built up there to enable
protection of the stored goods. Likewise, some other smaller
buildings are located in outstanding spots or angles of the
mountain that served as watchtowers for controlling movement
of persons in the valley
Toward the western end of the town and crossing the Patakancha
(Upper Inclosure) stream is the great Plaza known as Mañay
Raqay (Pleas Plaza) which seem to keep its original name,
surrounded by sun-dried mud-brick buildings that were very
important in their epoch. Towards the west of this plaza is
the entrance to the religious sector; in the lower part there
are terraces that served for two purposes: they were farming
terraces and had an aqueduct by their southern end; likewise,
they served in order to stop erosion of the upper side protecting
the most important temples. Going up through the stairway
between the terraces is the 10 Window Temple, which is named
that because of the 10 trapezoidal niches existing in its
back wall; its front wall was destroyed and today the real
duty of that inclosure is unknown. Somewhat higher is the
spot of the most important temple: the Sun Temple that was
constructed with huge red porphyry (pink granite) boulders.
The stone quarry is named Kachiqhata (Salt Slope) and is located
about 4 Kms. (2.5 miles) away on the other side of the valley,
by the upper side of the opposite southwestern mountains.
The boulders were carved partially in the quarries, and taken
down to the valley's bottom. In order to cross the river Quechuas
constructed an artificial channel parallel to the natural
river bed that served for deviating the river's water according
to conveniences. Therefore, while that water flowed through
one channel the other was dry, thus stones could be taken
to the other side of the valley. More over, the boulders were
transported to the upper spot where the temple is erected
using the inclined plane that is something like a road which
silhouette is clearly seen from the valley's bottom. They
had the help of log rollers or rolling stones as wheels, South-American
cameloids' leather ropes, levers, pulleys, and the power of
hundreds and even thousands of men. Today, on the way from
the quarry to the temple there are dozens of enormous stones
that people know as " tired stones" because it is
believed that they could never be transported to their destination;
those stones are the reason why some authors claim that the
Sun Temple was unfinished when the Spanish invasion happened.
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What is left
of the Sun Temple are some peripheral walls and the
classical major wall that according to most historians
is part of the High Altar. It consists of six enormous
stone blocks which average weight is about 90 tons
and have as vertical joints some other smaller stones
making a wall that is unusual in the Inkan Architecture.
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It seems that this is a projection of the Tiawanako architecture
or possibly the architects were brought from the region of
the Titicaca lake; but the final work is entirely Inkan with
joints and outer surfaces complete and finely polished and
glazed so that they could even serve as mirrors. On the external
surface of the fourth boulder (beginning in the southern end),
there are three carved stepped symbols that were undoubtedly
inherited from the Tiawanakos; they represent the three stages
of the Andean World: the "Hanan Pacha" (heaven),
the "Kay Pacha" (earth surface) and the "Ukhu
Pacha" (underground). Even more, there are some other
carved bulges that were broken and which according to divers
scholars represented gods of the Andean Mythology. It is evident
the presence of the "idolatries extirpators" who
destroyed the Sun Temple; nowadays, the stones that were part
of this fabulous temple are all over the place, over the terraces,
by the plaza surroundings, in the church and curate house,
and wherever a person looks with care. More over, because
of the quality and some characteristics of the work we dare
to suggest that it was completely finished by the arrival
of Spanish invaders and that the mentioned "tired stones"
were unnecessary or were supposed to be used for some other
similar buildings. Around this same sector there are many
other constructions of minor quality ("pirka" type),
and with mud brick walls that were perhaps adoratories for
minor deities; about which there is not any chronicle or reference.
The streets in this area are very narrow, this fact made many
authors believe that it was just a "pukara" (fort).
However, history demonstrates that when Quechuas and Hispanics
were faced with defeats or disadvantage for invaders, they
automatically named that site as "Indians' fortress";
as it happened in Saqsaywaman and over here in Ollantaytambo,
where the army of Manko Inka (Manko II) defeated completely
the invader troops in 1537. That victory for Inkas happened
when Manko was going toward Willkapanpa (Vilcabamba) after
8 months of bloody war in Qosqo. Behind the religious sector
is the surrounding wall that protected this zone and the whole
Ollantaytambo fortified city.
Toward the north of the religious sector entrance gate is
a series of water fountains that because of their location
must have performed duties of "Ceremonial Fountains",
that is, used in order to worship the water god. There is
one inside a mud brick square building where water still flows;
toward the east of it there is another one baptized by tradition
as the " Baño de la Ñusta" ("Princess's
Bath") that shows stepped moldings in its surface below
the spillway. Farther north there are also many other fountains
constituting a vast temple dedicated to the cult of "Unu"
or "Yaku" (water). Nearby is the sector that today
has the hybrid name of " Inka Misana" (spot where
the Inka says mass) that shows an aqueduct carved in the mountain
rock face and a liturgical fountain, small stairways, double
jamb niches or false openings capriciously sculpted in the
mountain surface. On the upper area there is a carved conical
bulge that was surely another "Intiwatana" (Sun
Fastener); more over, there are diverse moldings which were
part of a complex solar observatory used to measure the sun
variations during the year as well as for fixing solstices
and equinoxes.
Following the Patakancha rivulet upstream are a large amount
of Inkan farming terraces that are always in use, many of
them still maintain their aqueducts. Advancing by the trail
on the right bank of the rivulet (on the left side when going
up through the valley), and after about two hours of hiking
one gets Pumamarka ("Puma's Town") that was surely
an important village in Inkan times; it is over 3600 mts.
of altitude (11810 ft.).
