The archaeological site of Tambomachay or Tampumachay in Quechua which means place of rest) is located just 24 minutes from the main square of the city of Cusco, about 8.8 kilometers from it in a northwest direction at 3700 meters, It is an archaeological site dedicated to the worship of water and according to some historians have (as the name indicated) this was a place where the Inca ruler rested at certain times of the year, it is also said that in this archaeological complex could be found a real garden whose irrigation system came from a whole system of canals made with a lot of dedication, it is also thought that it could be one of the military bases before entering the entire valley of Cusco, this due to the tower that exists in its buildings that It would have served as a checkpoint for the people who came from the Antisuyo.
The archaeological complex occupies around 450 square meters of buildings, although no large excavations have been carried out to date, it is believed that it should be more extensive, this archaeological complex is a construction typical of the imperial period, with large stone walls and windows carved and polished with incredible mastery, in addition to all its channel systems, which makes it its main attraction of the place, and is that these networks not only transport water but they do it with spectacular accuracy, and as an example of this there is one of the main waterfalls which bifurcates into 2 secondary waterfalls that have perfectly equal flow rates, meaning that if you place two containers, they will be filled at the same time; As additional information in this regard we tell you that until now it is not possible to discover where the water comes from the sources, which throughout the year brings the same amount so it does not end in addition to always clean water.
Structures:
Within its incredible architecture you can see 4 stepped terraces, built on a base of carved rock, these walls form 3 parallel platforms, also on the last of these platforms rises a wall of about 15 meters in length with 4 high, You can notice that in all the structures an extraordinary dedication was taken in its construction because all the pieces are perfectly fitted, in addition, as previously indicated, in front of the construction there is remains of what was a turret.
Temple of Water
As in any pre-Inca culture, the Inca culture also always performed worship to all the elements that were life-giving such as water, wind, sun, moon, lightning, etc. In the case of the archaeological complex of Tambomachay is entirely dedicated to water, and is that it has an extraordinary hydraulic system as for example the 2 aqueducts artistically carved in rock that transport and maintain a constant flow of clean and clear water during the 12 months of the year , the water that runs through this pool comes from a pool of higher level and ends in a pool at its lowest level which is supposed to be a liturgical source where the Inca and his priests worshiped the water; On the other hand, the famous bath of the Ñusta has great similarity with the one found in Ollantaytambo, also at the foot of this inn you can find drainage channels and although nowadays it can be seen in the open sky, it is more likely that it has been a closed environment due to the found foundations, finally the perfection in each one of the rocks carved for the channels, the calming sound of the water that circulates, besides the tranquility and the peace that generates the environment due to the closed and collected location from the place where it was built, they give Tambomachay a unique atmosphere.
Requirements to visit Tambomachay
To know this beautiful archaeological center, you need to have the tourist ticket, if you want to visit also the archaeological centers that are located nearby such as Pucapucara, Q'enqo and Sacsayhuamán, you can buy a partial tourist ticket, which gives you access to these 4 tourist places, or if you want to make a reservation in advance that includes hotel and other attractions such as Machupicchu you can also hire the services of a travel and tourism agency.
Now that you know a little more about this beautiful place, do not wait any longer and visit Tambomachay
- City Tour: Cusco Catedral, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Tambomachay
- 2 days in Cusco Tour visit: Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley
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