Raqchi: The Inca partenon
A marvel on the way from Cusco to Puno
Nearly 500 years after the fall of the Inca empire, major questions remain about this civilization. Its numerous llactas (cities or towns) and pucaras (fortresses) continue to attract attention. Many of them are almost as impressive as the famous Machu Picchu. This is the case, within Peru itself, of the citadel of Racchi (or Raqchi).
Today it is part of the circuit known as Route of the Sun, between Cuzco (120 km away) and Puno (270 km away), which takes about 10 hours by bus.
Its location on the ancient Inca road (or Qhapaq Ñan), which connected it with such distant points of the empire as Pasto (Colombia), Tihuanaco (Bolivia) and Tucumán (Argentina), gives an idea of its strategic importance. The complex is notable for its impressive temple dedicated to the god Wiracocha, for the large number of colcas (storehouses) and for a population that, according to local guides, could have doubled or even tripled that of Machu Picchu. Sometimes nicknamed the Inca Parthenon, Racchi has been awarded the seal of the best village in the world by the International Tourism Organization.
The jewel of Racchi is the temple of Wiracocha. It is, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable ceremonial centers of the empire. Although today only its remains are preserved, you can sense its imposing dimensions: 92 meters long by 25.5 m wide and a central wall of adobe with a base of andesite (volcanic rock) about 15 m high, with several doors and windows. It is supposed that this construction had the largest gabled roof of the entire Inca domain. On the other hand, the presence of eleven columns on both sides of the central wall suggests that visitors must have moved in zigzag. This peculiar design could be related to the Inca cosmogony and their relationship with God.
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