Maukallaqta

Maukallaqta lies in the highlands south of Cusco, near Pacaritambo, a place closely associated with Inca traditions of origin. Stone enclosures, plazas and carefully worked niches mark a settlement and ceremonial landscape above the valley. In stories recorded after the Spanish conquest, the ancestors of the Incas emerged from caves in this region before traveling toward Cusco. The site’s buildings and sacred surroundings preserve the importance of that landscape to the Inca past.