Coricancha, The Incan Sun Temple

Coriconcha comes from the Quechua word Quri – gold and Kancha – encloser. Cusco was the capital of the Incan empire and Coriconcha was its shining jewel. It was where the bodies of past leaders were covered in gold and placed in full ceremonial dress and tended by virgins. It was considered the center of the Incan empire, it was a holy site. In its heyday it was even more of a sight to behold. According to Spanish records there were statues of gold and silver in the courtyard and priceless artifacts everywhere. I guess thats why they looted everything and leveled the temple and built a catholic church on it. While the Incan ruins are magnificent the Santo Domingo church is Amazing . The carvings and artwork are a true sight to behold. There have been three earthquakes that heavily damaged the church but the foundation stones built by the Incas have stood firm. The last earthquake in the 1950s unearthed a portion of the incan temple. People then began to excavate the area and more were found. The inca were excellent builders and their construction has really stood the test of time. You can still see a few of the original rooms and even one of the sacrificial altars but the biggest hall of the temple is now gone. Its said that the main hall of the temple had two large disks, one of gold and one of silver. The gold one caught the light from the sun and lit the entire room during the day. The silver disk caught the moon light and lit the room at night. Its  also said that that several walls were covered in a thin layer of gold.  Today its now a museum and Church of Santo Domingo. It has a lot of beautiful religious artwork and a lovely courtyard. Church services are held daily and can be attended by anyone. I do recommend climbing the steep stairs to the second story of the building. They have several contemporary art exhibits but the view from there is spectacular. An art piece that really stood out to me was a depiction of the universe via an Incan artist in 1613. It shows how the Incans believed the world to be using symbols and made of gold. Below the picture is an explanation of the symbols but even without it , its quite a sight to behold. The history this museum tells is a sad one but like all countries it has its ups and downs. While the Spanish invaded and practically wiped out an entire culture the Peruvian people did finally gain their independence again. While we may never know the complete history of the Incan people this museum is a start and its a wonderful way to see a little of people called the Incans.