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lcurran | profile | all galleries >> Peru 2010 >> The Andes >> Sacsayhuaman tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Sacsayhuaman

Sacsayhuamán (also known as Saksaq Waman, Sacsahuaman) is a walled complex near Cusco, the former capital of the Inca empire.
The site, at an altitude of 3,701 metres (12,142 ft), was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983.
Because of its location high above Cuzco and its immense terrace walls, this area of Sacsayhuaman is frequently referred to as a fortress.
The stones used in the construction of these terraces are among the largest used in any building in prehispanic America and display a precision of fitting that is unmatched in the Americas. The stones are so closely spaced that a single piece of paper will not fit between many of the stones. This precision, combined with the rounded corners of the blocks, the variety of their interlocking shapes, and the way the walls lean inward, is thought to have helped the ruins survive devastating earthquakes in Cuzco.
Sacsayhuaman Wall
Sacsayhuaman Wall		 XIMG_0415.jpg
XIMG_0415.jpg		 XIMG_0418.jpg
XIMG_0418.jpg		 XIMG_0421.jpg
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Perspective
Perspective		 XIMG_0424.jpg
XIMG_0424.jpg		 XIMG_0425.jpg
XIMG_0425.jpg		 XIMG_0429.jpg
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Walls
Walls		 Finger Holes
Finger Holes		 Agricultural Terraces
Agricultural Terraces		 XIMG_0438.jpg
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XIMG_0441.jpg		 XIMG_0444.jpg
XIMG_0444.jpg		 City of Cusco from Sacsayhuaman
City of Cusco from Sacsayhuaman		 XIMG_0450.jpg
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Note the Rounded Corner Stones
Note the Rounded Corner Stones		 XIMG_0454.jpg
XIMG_0454.jpg		 XIMG_0455.jpg
XIMG_0455.jpg		 XIMG_0458.jpg
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XIMG_0461.jpg		 XIMG_0463.jpg
XIMG_0463.jpg		 Tambomachay - Elevation 3795 metres
Tambomachay - Elevation 3795 metres		 XIMG_0470.jpg
XIMG_0470.jpg

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