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Inkayni Peru Tours

Inkayni Peru Tours

Qenqo, Inca place to worship Gods

Qenqo is a place where the Incas worshiped their gods. It is believed that the Incas used this place as a bridge to communicate with their gods such as the Sun, the earth (Pachamama), the mountains, the moon and the stars.

Everything in this place has many mysteries, the amphitheater, the labyrinths, the canals and the sacrificial room.

Complejo Arqueológico de Qenqo

Archeological Site of Qenqo

Location:

Archeological site of Qenqo is located in the Sacred Valley of Peru in the Cusco Region, Cusco Province, Cusco District, about 6 km north east of Cusco. It is some meters from the Sacsayhuaman Fortress, Tambomachay, Puca Pucara and other archeological sites.

Altitude:

It is at an altitude of 3 580 m.a.s.l

Piedra tallada en el Complejo Arqueológico de Qenqo

Carved stone in Archeological site of Qenqo

Qenqo:

In Quechua, Qenqo means labyrinth or zig-zag and the temple is named for the crooked canal cut out of its rock. Although it is clear the canal carried some sort of liquid, researchers have been forced to guess at its purpose, and at what liquid it transported. Hypotheses range from carrying holy water, chicha (corn beer), or blood. All three indicate that Qenqo was used for death rituals, possibly to embalm bodies or detect whether a person lived a good life by the course the liquid followed.

It is also believed it had a holy purpose as to worship their gods. This unknown and unclear purpose give Qenqo a mystery that remains alive.

 



Interesting Facts:

Sacrificial Room:

Underground chamber, made in the inner part with low portion of the large rock, so that floors, ceiling, walls, tables and cupboards are carved into a single gigantic rock. It is said that this underground chamber could have been used to embalm corpses of dried apricots, and also as a place of human sacrifice and flame.

Se presume que este lugar fue la sala de sacrificio humano y/o animal

It is believed that this place was used to offer human or animal sacrifices.

Amphitheater:

Semicircular construction of 55 meters long with carved niches along the wall. In the center of the amphitheater a six meter rock high stands, which may have been a sculpture. It has niches distributed around the amphitheater that looks like seats, but according to recent research, it is very likely that in fact they have been the basis of a large wall, located in each of them, the representation of an entity to which they worshiped. 

Intihuatana and Astronomical Observatory:

Many archeological sites in Cusco have an Intihuatana like the one in Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo, Qenqo and many others, which have the same purpose.

 



The Intihuatana of Qenqo is located in the upper part of the large rock, consisting of two cylindrical stone. It is assumed that Intihuatana (where the sun is tied) may have been an astronomical observatory, which served measure time, to establish the seasons, to determine the solstices and equinoxes, and to worship the Sun, the Moon, Venus and the stars.

Intiwatana de Qenqo, lugar importante para verificar el cambio de estación en la´época inca.

Intihuatana of Qenqo, important place to establish the seasons during Incas time.

Carved stone

This carved stone has the form of a small zigzag channel that descends to the underground chamber. Perhaps chicha or blood of flames were poured, as offerings in rituals not yet clarified.

Piedra Tallada de Qenqo, por aquí descendía sangre y chicha durante la ceremonia inca.

Carved Stone of Qenqo from which Chicha or blood descended during an Inca ceremony.

How to get to Qenqo?: 

To get to Qenqo, you can take a taxi in Plaza de Armas in Cusco. It takes less than 30 minutes to get there. You can also take the public transportation in Puputi street. It is a 45-minute ride. You can also visit this place as part of a City Tour with any local agency.

Inkayni Tips:

  • Tourist ticket
  • Sun hat
  • Sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 35 or higher
  • Waterproof jacket/rain poncho
  • Water
  • Camera and film

We are Inkayni Peru Tours, a local agency with more than 10 years of experience in the industry of tourism in Cusco. Thanks to our passion and enthusiasm inherited from our ancestors, we can offer the best tours in the region. Satisfied clients with unforgettable trips and lifetime vacations is the reward to our hard work.

“Travel… The best way to be lost and found at the same time.” – Brenna Smith

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