Ñaupa Iglesia Inca Site

Ñaupa Iglesia Inca Site

The district of Ollantaytambo has several archaeological sites dating from Inca Era. One of the archaeological sites is Ñaupa Iglesia Choqella, which does articulated by a road network that joins the main road that passes through the Pomatales valley. Due to the arrangement of its architectural structures associated with a succession of platforms, ritual enclosures, and ceremonial Wakas (temples).

Description of Ñaupa Iglesia

Ñaupa Iglesia Inca Site is unique because of its construction, details, and location. Ñaupa Church served in the Inca times to make offerings to the valley of Huarocondo. It connected with Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Machu Picchu.

After the platforms, very high and a little chopped into a trapezoidal mountain, the main temple and a set of rocky windows stand out. The main temple, located in the upper part, is a Waka (sacred temple or shrine) of natural volcanic rock formation, which comprises 36 square meters, trapezoidal form. It does observe a balsamic rock carved with ornamental motifs of the double-jamb stepped sign. In addition, a Chakana, an Inca symbol that represented his Worldview. The rocky windows are located on the left side of the temple or shrine. They are seven meters long and one meter wide. In the parquet, we can see trapezoidal and double jamb niches alternating throughout the space of the structure, with pieces of evidence of plaster or mud and plastering of excellent red clay.

Location

The archaeological site of Ñaupa Iglesia does locate within the Archaeological Park of Ollantaytambo of the province of the Urubamba department of Cusco at an altitude between 2800 to 2900 meters above sea level.

Area.

The archaeological site of Ñaupa Iglesia Inca Site comprises three sectors: Sector I. – Corresponds to the succession of platforms, stairs, ceremonial enclosures, drains, and irrigation canals. The entire infrastructure is built of a stone material of rustic equipment from the volcanic formation. Sector II. – Constituted by ceremonial precincts. Sector III. – It includes the sacred temple or shrine of the natural formation of volcanic rock.

Limits

• The archaeological site of Ñaupa Iglesia limits:
• To the north: Cusco-Machupicchu railway line
• South: Closed Apu Huacan Condor.
• To the East: Cusco-Machupicchu railway line.
• For the West: Ñaupa Tendal.

Coordinates

• East: 0800133 Altitude: 2960 m. S. N. M.
• North: 8529230

Access Roads

From the City of Cusco, the community of Pachar – Ñaupa Iglesia is accessed, the same one that does link by two routes:

The asphalted road of Cusco – Chinchero – Ollantaytambo, with a route of 79 km to Pachar, is the most used, and from the whereabouts of Pachar to the archaeological site, a trail of 2.20 km is made.

The other route using the carriageway Cusco – Huarocondo – Pachar – Ollantaytambo is less used. These accesses are roads that connect essential villages in the area. Permanent Inca roads maintained communication with the localities of Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Machupicchu, significant places in the Inca times.

Historical background

The sixteenth and seventeenth-century chronicles provide indirect information from Ñaupa Iglesia Inca Site. The data extracted generally refer to roads, Wakas, enclosures, and agricultural production systems (terracing systems). Pedro Pizarro refers to the confrontation of Manco Inca with the Spanish – 1 Pedro Pizarro: 1986 Cap. XX-Pag. 146 to 148.