This was part of a half.day tour of Cusco. I wish we had longer, but the guide we had explained about the discovery of the what are now the gardens following an earthquake in 1986. It was great to see the original INKA walls and were told that in future years they may be covered with glass to protect. The architecture and math used to build this without the technology we have.is impressive. Well worth a visit

The pre-Columbian Qorikancha site was conveniently just around the corner from my Cusco accommodation at the Unaytambo. What remains of the Incas’ “Temple of the Sun” however are only fragments and ruins of the original structure, thanks to the Spanish conquerors who built their Santo Domingo Cathedral on top of it! The guide pointed out the most interesting feature of the original temple’s surviving stonework, the Inca architects had built the doorways and windows in such a way to create a perfect trapezoid form.

This was a very interesting site. The Spanish buildings were built on a native buildings which are now exposed and there is information about how they were built. Of all the sites we saw this was the only one that explained/showed this. Admission is 15 soles, less than $4 when we were there and is well worth that.

Tour Leader took us here whilst on a walking tour. Clean toilets. 15 sol entrance. Large ,spacious edifice, some parts of the ancient Inca substantial stone walls, other parts newer Catholic (but still ancient!!) construction

While the promise of a newly discovered Inka temple underneath a colonial chaple is enticing, there is very little that could actually be seen today of the former temple, outside of some bare internal and remanants of the external wall. A scaled model of the supposed former temple tries to fill in the gap somewhat, and with some prior knowledge you could recognize and be impressed by the craft of the ancient masons and engineers. Unfortunately, there is very little being offered in means of information available around the site, so I would recommend considering taking a guide, as they seem to be full of knowledge and stories that could give your visit a whole different value. The second floor leads to the chappel area, with an admittedly much better designed exhibition. Going up to the bell tower is possible, though will cost you an extra 5 S/, which I found very reasonable. The high perch offers a lovely view of the rooftops, and a direct view of the bells.

This is a great way to see the fusion, in this case forced fusion, of Inca and Spanish culture. The original building dates back to the 15th century and was a temple for the Inca people. Cusco was the capital of the Empire and this was their most important temple in the city. After the Spanish arrived, they built a church on top of it and all sorts of Christian iconography. It was the Spanish’s hope to stamp out the old Inca religion and supplant it with Catholicism. I am giving four stars because there is not a lot to see here and it is easy to cover all grounds in about 30 minutes, an hour tops. There are a lot of guides out front offering their services, but I didn’t feel that it was necessary and you can pretty much just use the map and read the signs to know what everything is. Given that the Inca did not have a written language a lot of it is speculation, in terms of the old part of the temple, but the new addition by the Spanish is well documented. It’s located right in the middle of the city and I would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Cusco.

This Church & convent of Santo Domingo is built on the foundations of the original Inca temple that the Spanish destroyed on conquering the locals. They used the materials from the temple to construct other churches & buildings in Cusco. The temple was stripped of all its gold to pay the ransom to have their chief released but we know how well that worked out? Sadly, no photos are allowed but the place is very memorable, and evidence of the Incan workmanship is still evident today!