Machu Picchu in Cusco is one of the most incredible places that exist, it was a sacred city for the Incas, and it is now for people seeking its energy and spirituality. It is located in the heart of the Andes Mountains. Its name ‘Qosqo’, translated from the Quechua language, means ‘navel or center of the world’. To walk through its streets is to enter into history and a stone architecture that has endured for more than five hundred years. To visit it you must purchase a ticket. It is recommended to do it online as availability is limited. Are you up for it?

• Why is Machu Picchu considered a sacred place?
• Inca gods at Machu Picchu
• The sacred constructions at Machu Picchu
• Questions and answers

Tourists feeling the energy of Intihuatana – Machu Picchu

The importance of Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is the best destination in Peru and one of the most important in the entire world; but beyond that, Machu Picchu was a sacred place for the Inca Civilization and for the people, who now come to it in search of that energy that everyone talks about and that many doubt, but only until they are standing in Machu Picchu. The way it was built, its incredible details and its inaccessible location in the middle of two mountains, surrounded by other mountains make Machu Picchu a sacred and unique place. Machu Picchu tickets are limited, so few people can enter to feel its spirituality and energy; but entry to this sacred city was always limited. In the time of the Incas, few people could enter Machu Picchu to worship their gods; it was reserved only for the elites of the empire.

Why is Machu Picchu considered a sacred place?

• Machu Picchu is an Inca city built by Emperor Pachacútec in 1450 AD . The Incas built temples there to worship their deities. They also built enclosures for royalty and the common population. It is estimated that around a thousand people lived there.
• Due to its religious character, Machu Picchu is considered a sacred site. This is even more so given the worldwide fame of the Inca city after news of its existence came to the world in 1911, following an expedition organized by Hiram Bingham.
• The Incas worshipped many deities, they worshipped nature, the sun, the moon, the stars, thunder, rivers, animals like the puma and the condor; and that is precisely the shape of Machu Picchu, that of a condor.
• But everything in Machu Picchu reflects the enormous respect that the Incas had for nature, for the events that occur in it and for its balance.
• That is why Machu Picchu, like most Inca constructions, is built in perfect harmony with the natural environment that surrounds it.

Tourists taking photos at Machu Picchu

Inca gods at Machu Picchu

Pachamama or mother earth

Mother Earth or Pachamama was the goddess symbol of fertility, she was as important as the Sun or the Moon for the Incas. Even today there is a ritual that evokes the importance of the earth, it is called payment to the earth and involves rituals where the earth is worshipped, with chicha (inca spirit), pouring it on it. Today the cult of Pachamama is different from that carried out during the time of the Inca civilization, although in some regions a celebration very similar to that of the Inca time is maintained; but also remember that the Incas had to hide their own religious ideology, in the “new” Christian celebrations; one of the best examples of this is the feast of the Virgin of Candelaria in Puno.

The Sun, the highest deity of the Incas

He was the most important god for the Incas, his importance lies in the fact that he was the giver of life and the main benefactor of living beings, without him there would be no life. The Incas worshipped the sun, and it was and is the symbol of the city of Cusco, the capital of the empire, which they covered in gold so that it would shine like the sun itself.

Wiracocha, the creator god of the world

His full name was Apu-Kon-Tiki Wiracocha, he was an androgynous deity, but with the ability to create by himself (hermaphrodite), in many Andean communities this god is still worshiped, Wiracocha is the god, the creator of the entire universe but it is not just about the Incas but about all the pre-Inca cultures like Tiahuanaco where he appears before the Inca empire where he is associated with a bearded man, a characteristic far from everything that could be seen on this side of the world, before the conquest of the Spanish, but the stone carved figure of Wiracocha that appears in Tiahuanaco, dates from between 200 BC 375 AD.

The harmony and balance of Inca life with nature

For the Incas and for all the cultures of ancient Peru, the most important thing was a perfect balance between them and nature. They believed in the duality of Mother Earth, above and below, day and night, life and death. However, their worldview of the universe was dominated by three parallel worlds, Uku Pacha (the world below or the dead), Kay Pacha (the world of the present, of the living), Hanan Pacha (the world above, of the gods). The Incas believed that some places on earth could communicate these three worlds, which is why they chose amazing settings to build their sacred places, with some of the most incredible buildings that exist, such as the Inca City of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu has many sacred places dedicated to its main deities, the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, the truncated doors of the Temple of the Moon on the Machu Picchu mountain are very similar to well-known “dimensional portals” that can be seen in other places in the world, such as Napoleon’s portal.

Sacred places for the Incas

The Incas considered mountains and rivers to be sacred places, and Machu Picchu is located between two mountains, protected by the Urubamba River canyon and surrounded by more mountains between the Andes Mountains and the Amazon rainforest.

Pacarinas

The Pacarinas were sacred places, for example, the Incas belong to the most important Pacarina of all, Lake Titicaca; a sacred place from where Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo came to found the city of Cusco and the Inca empire.

Huacas

In Andean culture, everything that is sacred is called a huaca: a monument, the top of a mountain, the bank of a river. When the Spanish arrived, they built their buildings on top of the huacas, since they considered them to be places where evil lived, and many churches were built on top of the rest of the huacas, as a representation of good triumphing over evil.

Wiracocha – The creator god of the world

The sacred constructions at Machu Picchu

During the visit to Machu Picchu tourists can visit some of the most sacred places, such as:

• The Temple of the Sun – The sun was the main Inca deity. This temple therefore has the most amazing architecture, built in a semicircular shape in the upper part of the citadel. The sun’s rays enter through its windows. Liturgical objects made of gold and silver were placed in its niches.
• The Intihuatana – Intihuatana is a Quechua word meaning ‘where the sun is tied’. This Inca pyramid existed not only in Machu Picchu but in important Inca cities such as Pisac. Its function was to receive the sun’s rays, whose shadow was projected on the stone. In this way, the Incas predicted the times of sowing and harvesting. It is believed that when visitors bring their hands close to the pyramid, they are filled with the energy of the sun. Today, the tourist visit to the Intihuatana is closed.
• The Sacred Rock – As its name suggests, it was a huge rock 3 metres high and had a base of 7 metres. At its base there is a space for placing offerings to this solid carved stone. It is believed that it represented the tutelary gods or ‘apus’, the sacred mountains. In other words, the Sacred Rock would have been shaped like a mountain. It is believed that the visitor is filled with energy when he brings his hands close to the cold walls of this great rock.
• The Temple of the Condor – Machu Picchu, seen from a distance from a high mountain, is shaped like a condor. This bird was considered sacred by the Incas because it connected the terrestrial world (the kai pacha) with the celestial world or the world of the gods (hanan pacha). In the Inca city there is a building in the shape of a condor seen from a traditional perspective: the body of the condor on a base on the ground. And the beak and head of the condor on a rock carved at the top.
• The Temple of the Moon – The Incas believed that caves connected the earthly world (kai pacha) with the world of the underworld or the world of the dead (uku pacha). Thus, they built ceremonial tables inside caves where they embalmed the deceased and performed ceremonies to worship the dead. At the base of the Huayna Picchu mountain is the Temple of the Moon, also known as the Great Cavern. To get there you must walk for almost 3 kilometers.
• The Temple of the 3 Windows – The Inca worldview indicates that the world was divided into three levels: the hanan pacha (world of the gods), the kai pacha (world of men) and the uku pacha (world of the dead). Thus, they built many temples with three divisions to represent their beliefs. This is the case of the Temple of the 3 Windows, located in the main square of Machu Picchu. This temple has the heaviest stones and great carving work.

Temple of the Condor at Machu Picchu

Questions and answers

• 1) Was Machu Picchu a huaca?

  In the book The Secret Code of Machu Picchu, the author mentions that Machu Picchu was a wasi Waka (Huaca), but also a Yachay Wasi (place of knowledge), since in this place there are astronomical observatories, altars and temples. Could it be possible that the largest pyramids in South America in Caral Peru, have to do with the Mayan pyramids in Guatemala, or with the pyramids of Egypt?

• 2) What were the sacred Inca animals?

  The Incas worshipped nature and considered some animals sacred for the abilities they possessed, such as the enormous flight capacity of the condor, the strength and agility of the puma, and the speed and intelligence of the snake.

• 3) What sacred places are there in Machu Picchu?

  In Machu Picchu there are entities considered sacred by the Incas such as the mountains, the sun, the moon, as well as their most important temples: the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana, the Sacred Rock, the Temple of the Condor, the Temple of the 3 Windows and more.

• 4) Why is the Temple of the Sun a sacred place in Machu Picchu?

  The sun was the main Inca deity. Therefore, this temple has the most amazing architecture, built in a semicircular shape in the upper part of the citadel. The sun’s rays enter through its windows.

• 5) Why is the Temple of the Moon a sacred place in Machu Picchu?

  The Incas believed that caves connected the earthly world (kai pacha) with the underground world or the world of the dead (uku pacha). Thus, inside the Great Cavern or Temple of the Moon on the Huayna Picchu mountain, they built ceremonial tables where they embalmed the deceased and performed ceremonies of worship for the dead.

• 6) What is the Intihuatana? Is it sacred?

  The Intihuatana is a stone building at the highest part of the Machu Picchu archaeological site. It was a sundial that received the sun’s energy on its carved stones. This is how the Incas predicted the times of sowing and harvesting. It is believed to be sacred because when tourists bring their hands close to it, they are filled with the sun’s energy.

• 7) Was Machu Picchu a sacred place for the Incas?

  Machu Picchu was an Inca city and religious site of vital importance due to its location in the eastern mountain range of the empire. Because of its religious temples and the energy of its buildings, it is considered a sacred place.

• 8) Why was the condor considered sacred in Machu Picchu?

  This bird was considered sacred by the Incas because it connected the terrestrial world (the kai pacha) with the celestial world or the world of the gods (hanan pacha). In the Inca city there is a building in the shape of a condor. Even the Inca city is shaped like a condor when seen from afar.

• 9) What is the Sacred Rock? Was it considered sacred in Machu Picchu?

  The Sacred Rock was a huge rock 3 metres high and with a base of 7 metres. At its base there is a space to place offerings to this solid carved stone. It is believed to have represented the tutelary gods or ‘apus’, the sacred mountains.

• 10) What is the Temple of the Three Windows of Machu Picchu?

  This temple represented the Inca worldview divided into three. The Inca worldview indicates that the world was divided into three levels: the hanan pacha (world of the gods), the kai pacha (world of men) and the uku pacha (world of the dead).

Advice from people who have been there

Machu Picchu

By: Jhonn K.

“A place full of culture“

“Machu Picchu is magical, the delicate blend of nature and the sensitivity and intelligence of the Incas. The incredible precision and detail in each construction leaves you speechless. You have to experience it in a different way, you won’t be able to believe it even with all the photos of Machu Picchu.“

By Ticket Machu Picchu – Last updated, November 20, 2024