Coricancha (Qorikancha)
TempleSouth America
Most sacred Inca temple, located in central Cusco, Peru. The name means 'Golden Enclosure' in Quechua. Built atop earlier pre-Inca foundations, the structure features the highest-precision polygonal masonry in the Inca world, with massive andesite blocks fitted to sub-millimeter tolerances and curved enclosure walls of breathtaking geometric accuracy. Originally clad in solid gold sheeting, all melted down during the Spanish conquest. The Dominican church of Santo Domingo was built on top of the Inca foundations in the 16th century, but the original temple walls remain visible and structurally intact, having survived multiple major earthquakes that destroyed colonial structures around them.
Look Closer — this site carries open questions: polygonal, interlocking masonry; stones fitted without mortar, almost no gap.
Open in the Atlas map →
Walkthrough videos (2)
UnchartedX Podcast! Ollantaytambo, Coricancha and the Temple of the Moon with the Snake Bros!UnchartedX
Ancient Builders of the Qoricancha?Sorcerers of Stone
Nearby sites
- Teteqaqa (Cusco)1 km
- Sacsayhuamán1 km
- Cusilluchayoc2 km