Machu Picchu

The meaning of such important piece for the Inca civilization lies in the own location of the Citadel of Machu Picchu. The location of this wonderful city is located to the East of the depression formed by the mountain Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu systems with the Central Andes in the South of the country, on the eastern slope of the cordillera de Vilcanota just 80 kilometers from the city of Cuzco. The urban area of Machu Picchu, known as Urin is home to the most important buildings for the Inca civilization as the Temple of the three Windows, the architectural group of the Sacred Rock and the grouping of gardens and courtyards known as Acllawasi.

Experts have considered several theories about the meaning of the Sacred Rock and one of them has based his hypothesis of the view which can be seen from Cerro Pumasillo, located on the posterior side of Valley, view which has some similarity to the way in which was carved the Sacred Rock; Therefore, this theory states that the Sacred Rock represents the Cerro Pumasillo and its usefulness might well have been oriented to the astrological study, which apparently played through the practice of sacred rituals. Hence also note the importance of the area where the Sacred Rock, area which represented one of the areas of the most significant city for civilization by its role as a Centre for hosting the most important sacred ceremonies for the Citadel and rituals.

The Sacred Rock seems to also possess a geographical purpose according to the studies made on the area well, the location of the Sacred Rock coincides exactly with the northern part of the city, location which is also located the portal which opens towards the interior of the mountain Huayna Picchu to become a narrow path that extends into the mountain. The road also offers a fork into the urban area where the main square of the Citadel. For both reasons, the experts have strongly supported the idea of the Sacred Rock represents a geographical landmark which marked the signaling of the portal of Machu Picchu to Huayna Picchu.

This monolith has amazing dimensions reaching a height of 3 metro and is located in an area formed by a rectangular perimeter with two adjoining houses called "huayranas" which have the peculiarity of having just three walls of Pirka architecture. The Sacred Rock sits on a base of 7 meters wide, adopting a form that comes to remind the profile of a feline animal on a podium of solid rock that was carved by the construction tools referred to as Ollantaytambo (rocky rolling stones). The expert community of anthropology has interpreted this basis with shape of feline animal as representation of the sacred puma of the Cerro Pumasillo of Machu Picchu, and hence his theory that, both the Sacred Rock and the other buildings of the main square, representing the geographic location of the various geophysical elements of the mountain systems of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu.