Raqchi

Raqchi stands beside the Vilcanota River south of Cuzco, beneath the volcanic mountain Kinsach’ata. Its most striking Inca building is a vast rectangular structure identified in colonial accounts as the Temple of Viracocha. A high central wall of stone and adobe once supported its roof, while planned enclosures and courtyards lay nearby.

The complex also contains a large walled area filled with rows of circular buildings, traditionally interpreted as storehouses for crops and other goods. Their number and orderly arrangement show the importance of Raqchi within the imperial landscape. The settlement stood on a route through the southern highlands, joining ceremonial architecture with spaces used to organise people and resources. Its massive surviving wall remains a landmark above the valley.