S
SACSAHUAMAN
On a hill overlooking Cuzco stands Sacsahuaman, the “temple-fortress.” The
Spaniards called this massive set of walls and buildings a fortress, which is how
many modern observers refer to it as well (see Fortifications). There is no
evidence, however, that the site ever functioned as a fortress except in 1536,
three years after the Spaniards first entered Cuzco, when the puppet king Manco
Inca laid siege to Cuzco, trying, unsuccessfully, to oust the invading Spaniards.
The chronicler Pedro de Cieza de León called Sacsahuaman a “house of the
Sun,” which suggests it played a role in Inca Sun worship. Its military function
may have been primarily symbolic, as its wide esplanade might have served as
the setting for ritual battles or reenactments (see Battles, Ritual). Pedro Pizarro
described such a ritual battle staged by king Topa Inca Yupanqui to
commemorate his victories in the north of the empire.