Valle Sagrado de los Incas = Sacred Valley of the Incas is located in the present-day Peruvian region of Cusco. The valley, running generally west to east, is understood to include everything along the Urubamba River between the town and Inca ruins at Písac westward to Machu Picchu, 100 kilometres distant. The valley was formed by the Urubamba river, also known as the Vilcanota River. The river is fed by numerous tributaries which descend through adjoining valleys and gorges, and contains numerous archaeological remains and villages. The Sacred Valley was the most important area for maize production in the heartland of the Inca Empire. Large scale maize production in the Sacred Valley was apparently facilitated by varieties bred in nearby Moray, either a governmental crop laboratory or a seedling nursery of the Incas.
Agricultural terraces, called andenes, were built up hillsides flanking the valley floor and are today the most visible and widespread signs of the Inca civilization in the Sacred Valley. Moray, Quechua: Muray, is an archaeological site in Peru approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) northwest of Cuzco on a high plateau at about 3,500 metres. The site contains unusual Inca ruins, mostly consisting of several terraced circular depressions, the largest of which is approximately 30 m deep.
The purpose of these depressions is uncertain, but their depth, design, and orientation with respect to wind and sun creates a temperature difference of as much as 15 °C between the top and the bottom. Speculation about the site has led to discussion about Moray as an Inca agricultural experiment station. This does not seem unlikely to me. It is known that the Incas were very adept at growing crops in difficult places.
During the rainy season of 2009–2010, the region of Cusco received high levels of precipitation that are atypical, which caused permanent damage to the ruins of Moray. The terraced levels of the complex, which are constructed from stone and compacted earth, were damaged extensively as the excessive rain waters undermined the ground beneath the structure. The eastern side of the principal circle collapsed during February 2010, causing concerns about the permanence of the site as a top tourist attraction in Peru. This interesting archaeological site continues to be at risk of further degradation, should the repair work not be completed and maintained for the future years.
Ollantaytambo is located in the Urubamba valley. Ollantaytambo is a former Inca administrative center and gateway to the Antisuyo (the Amazon corner of the Inca Empire), and is located at the northern end of the Sacred Valley. At the time of the Spanish invasion and conquest of Peru Ollantaytambo served as the last stronghold for Inca Manco Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance at the time. The primary attraction is the Ollantaytambo Fortress on the outskirts of the settlement in a section known as the Temple Hill. In the 15th century Inca Pachacutec conquered and began to rebuild the town of Ollantaytambo, constructing terraces for farming and an irrigation system.
Ollantaytambo. Pinkuylluna, the ancient Inca granaries.
These huge terraces make up what is called the Fortress or Temple Hill. The town became home to Inca nobility. After Inca Pachacutec’s death, the town and its surroundings fell to the hands of his family and then eventually to those of Inca Manco. Inca Manco used Ollantaytambo as a retreat from the attacks of the Spanish. At the top of the fortress is the military area. From here is where Inca Manco and his soldiers watched for the Spanish invaders. The fortress of Ollantaytambo, originally built for religious purposes, was the site of a major battle, one of the only successful ones against the conquistadors. From high above in the terraces of Ollantaytambo the Incas managed to hold back and defeat the Spanish, in addition they flooded the plain below forcing the Spanish to withdraw.
Manco Inca retreated to the jungle stronghold of Vilcabamba shortly after the battle, knowing that the Spanish would return with even more force. The fortress of Ollantaytambo was soon captured by Pizarro and his men. Tourists need a Cucso Tourist Ticket to enter the ruins. A partial tiacket or full ticket can be purchased at the entrance to the site or can be bought in Cusco before reaching the Ollantaytambo ruins. A partial ticket costs 70 soles and a full 130 soles. The fortress is also the most common starting point for the famous Inca trail. The Inca trail has been known for many years around the world for various reasons: the fantastic nature with valleys, snowy mountain peaks and a wide variety of plants, birds and animals. In just 26 miles (43km) it manages to combine beautiful mountain scenery, lush cloud-forest, subtropical jungle and, of course, a stunning mix of Inca paving stones, ruins and tunnels. The Inca Trail is part of the larger road system of the Incas, the Qhapaq Ñan.
The Qhapaq Ñan (English: Great Inca Road, or Main Andean Road, and meaning “the beautiful road”) constituted the principal north-south highway of the Inca Empire traveling 6,000 kilometres (3,700 mi) along the spine of the Andes. The Qhapaq Ñan unified this immense and heterogeneous empire through a well-organized political system of power. It allowed the Inca to control his Empire and to send troops as needed from the capital, Cusco. The Inca used the road system for a variety of purposes. Not only did the road simply provide transportation for people who were traveling through the empire, the road also provided many military and religious purposes for the Inca. Much long-distance transportation was done on foot similar in Mesoamerica. The Inca had two main uses of transportation on the roads. They used the chasqui (runners) for relaying messages throughout the empire and llamas and alpacas for transporting goods. The chasqui were known as the runners of the empire. They were estimated to run as much as 240 kilometers per day. Chasquis were in charge of delivering everything from news to lightweight goods such as fish. Llamas and alpacas were also used frequently. Llamas and alpacas are lightweight animals. They cannot carry much, but they are incredibly nimble.
Map of the archeological site of Pisac. Pisac. The Inca constructed agricultural terraces on the steep hillside, which are still in use today.
They created the terraces by hauling richer topsoil by hand from the lower lands. The terraces enabled the production of surplus food, more than would normally be possible at altitudes as high as 11,000 feet. In Spanish, the stepped agricultural “systems” are called “andinas”, which comes from the word Andes. The mountain sides ensure more intense sunlight for longer time during the day. The Incas planted potatoes, crops and other plants. Francisco Pizarro and the Spanish conquerors destroyed Inca Písac in the early 1530s. The modern town of Písac was built in the valley by Viceroy Toledo during the 1570s.
Pisac. Qalla Qasa. A fortress to defend the southern entrance to the ‘Sacred Valley’. Pisac is probably built in the 15th century. There are no remnants of pre-Inca cultures. According to the scholar Kim MacQuarrie, Pachacuti erected a number of royal estates to memorialize victories over other ethnic groups. Among these royal estates is Písac (victory over the Cuyos). Pisac, Inca fortress and burial place. Qalla Q’asa, which is built onto a natural spur and overlooks the valley, is known as the citadel.