The Sacred Valley peru or Urubamba Valley is a valley in the Andes of Peru, It is very close to machu picchu , capital of Cusco. The valley is generally understood to include everything between Písac and Ollantaytambo, parallel to the Urubamba River, or Vilcanota River or Wilcamayu, as this Sacred river is called when passing through the valley. It is fed by numerous rivers which descend through adjoining valleys and gorges, and contains numerous archaeological remains and villages. The valley was appreciated by the Incas due to its special geographical and climatic qualities. It was one of the empire's main points for the extraction of natural wealth, and the best place for maize production in Peru like nowadays.
Pisac , Urubamba , Ollantaytambo are the sacred valley in peru
PISAC
Písac is a Peruvian village in the Sacred Valley on the Urubamba River. The village is well-known for its market every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, an event which attracts heavy tourist traffic from nearby Cusco. One of its more notable features is a large pisonay tree which dominates the central plaza. The sanctuary of Huanca, home to a sacred shrine, is also near the village. Pilgrims travel to the shrine every September.
The area is perhaps best known for its Incan ruins, known as Inca Písac, which lie atop a hill at the entrance to the valley. The ruins are separated along the ridge into four groups: Pisaqa, Intihuatana, Q'allaqasa, and Kinchiracay. Intihuatana includes a number of bathes and temples. The Temple of the Sun, a volcanic outcrop carved into a "hitching post" for the Sun (or Inti), is the focus, and the angles of its base suggest that it served some astronomical function. Q'allaqasa, which is built onto a natural spur and overlooks the valley, is known as the citadel.
The hillside is lined with agricultural terraces constructed by the Inca and still in use today. These terraces were created by hauling richer topsoil from the lower lands by hand. They enabled them to produce surplus food more than would normally be possible at altitudes as high as 11,000 feet. With military, religious, and agricultural structures, the site served at least a triple purpose. Besides a country estate, it is thought that Písac defended the southern entrance to the Sacred Valley, while Choquequirao defended the western entrance and the fortress at Ollantaytambo the northern. Inca Pisac controlled a route which connected the Inca Empire with the border of the rain forest. According to Kim MacQuarrie, Pachacuti erected a number of royal estates after he conquered other ethnic groups to remember the victories. Among these royal estates are Pisac (victory over the Cuyos), Ollantaytambo (victory over the Tambos) and Machu Picchu (conquest of the Vilcabamba Valley). Other historians suggest that Pisac was established in order to protect Cusco from possible attacks of the Antis nations. It is unknown when Inca Pisac was built. Since it does not appear to have been inhabited by any pre-Inca civilization, it was most likely built no earlier than 1440. It was distroyed by Pizarro and the Conquistadores in the early 1530s. The modern town of Pisac was built by Viceroy Toledo down in the valley during the 1570s.
The marketplace at Pisac sells typical Andean crafts.The narrow rows of terraces beneath the citadel are thought to represent the wing of a partridge (pisaca), from which the village and ruins get their name. The birds are also common in the area at dusk.
URUBAMBA
Urubamba (Quechua: Urupampa which means "Flat land of Spiders") is a small town in Peru, located near the Urubamba River under the snow-capped mountain of Chicon. The town is located near a number of significant ruins of the Inca Empire, and frequently houses tourists visiting those sites.
Located one hour from Cusco, Urubamba is the largest town in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is frequently visited by tourists on their way to Machu Picchu.
Urubamba has the look of a more 'functional' town than its neighbours Ollantaytambo and Pisac, but it is not without charm.
There is a popular market selling fresh fruit and vegetables and also pots, pans and other essential items. The market does not really cater for tourists and does not include the locally produced alpaca garments/ornaments. However Urubamba is the home of the workshop of Pablo Seminario, who creates quality ceramics which can be purchased from the workshop or the store in Cusco.
There is a large sporting field used for local football (soccer) matches and also for festivals, including the festival of El Señor de Torrechayoc. During the first week of June the town swells with dancers and visitors from local towns who perform through the streets whilst the church bells ring. The festivities do not seem to stop as the local towns people celebrate well into the early hours. The dancing culminates with group performances on the local football pitch whilst crowds look on from the stands.
OLLANTAYTAMBO
Ollantaytambo is a town in southern Peru something like 60 kilometers northwest of the city of Cusco. It is located at an altitude of 2,792 meters above sea level in the district of Ollantaytambo, province of Urubamba, Cusco region. During the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti who conquered the region, built the town and a ceremonial center. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Peru it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance. Nowadays it is an important tourist attraction on account of its Inca buildings and as one of the most common starting points for the three-day, four-night hike known as the Inca Trail. |
