Sun Temple (Ollantaytambo Ruins)

When we walked out the front door this morning, the ruins were staring us in the face. It was difficult to see anything at all last night because it was dark when we arrived, this morning however, we could see the the entire landscape including mountains that surround Ollanta and the ruins built into the mountains.

The "Head" of the llama at the Sun Temple

The Incas built little steps into the terraces for climbing, or looking goofy, both of which the Incas loved to do

Break-time, reading our guidebok

Halfway up

A time-telling apparatus that you are apparently not supposed to sit on

The town of Ollanta is Incan-built. The Incas redirected water from the nearby river to send through every road of the town... they had running water right outside their doorsteps. The town is shaped like a “tree” to symbolize the “tree of life” and the primary ruins (sun temple) are shaped like a llama, which symbolizes the connection of the people to the land. On the mountain opposite the sun temple, is a facade representing Tunupa, who was, according to myth, the first man who could tell time and who was a preacher of knowledge. Apparently the Inca modified the bluff to create an image of the character who appears to be holding the grain warehouses on his back, symbolizing the importance of the knowledge of time and harmony that Man makes with the land in providing throughout the seasons. Depending on the time of day, the face appears to have open or closed eyes. Throughout Ollanta, depending on the season, solstice, or time of day, different monuments or temples or buildings would illuminate, telling the Inca when to plant, when to harvest, etc.

See the face!??

The Sun Temple was a huge complex with multiple functions with, political, military, religious, astronomical and agricultural significance. There are dozens of huge terraces for growing crops and many time-telling rocks and carvings. From the top, you can easily see the city below and the facade of Tunupa across the valley. Ollanta was actually an Incan fortress after the abandonment of Cuzco and it was the site of a successful defense by the Incas against the attacking Spanish.

We took our time climbing the ruins and stopped and read our guide book several times. It took us about two hours to complete the hike. Take a look at the pictures!