Koricancha or Coricancha is an ancient Inca temple located in the city of Cusco, Peru. The name “Coricancha” translates as “golden courtyard”, and the temple received this name because it is believed to have been covered with gold leaf during the Inca Empire. The temple was dedicated to the Sun God, Inti, and was considered one of the most important religious sites of the Inca Empire.
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- Construction of the Coricancha was begun in the early 15th century by the Inca ruler Pachacutec, and the temple was expanded and renovated by subsequent Inca rulers. The temple was built with huge stone blocks and the walls were decorated with intricate carvings and gold leaf.
- The temple was also surrounded by a large courtyard, which was used for religious ceremonies and festivals. In addition to its religious importance, Coricancha was also an important center of learning and education in the Inca Empire. The temple housed a school for the children of the nobility, where they were taught religion, astronomy and other subjects.
- After the Spanish conquest of Peru in the 16th century, Coricancha was partially destroyed and the gold and other treasures were looted. The Spaniards built a church, Santo Domingo, on the ruins of the temple, which still stands as a testament to the blending of Inca and Spanish cultures in Peru.
- Today, visitors to Cusco can see the ruins of Coricancha and the church of Santo Domingo. The ruins offer a glimpse of the remarkable artistic and engineering skills of the Inca people, while the church is a striking example of the blending of cultures that occurred during the Spanish conquest of Peru. Coricancha remains a powerful symbol of Peru’s rich history and culture.
Location of the Coricancha Temple
The Temple of Coricancha is located at the intersection of Avenida El Sol and Calle Santo Domingo, two blocks from the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, Peru. Visits are available Monday through Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm. You can buy tickets at the same place. You can walk from Cusco’s main square to the Coricancha in about 8 minutes.
What to see at the Coricancha?
The great temple of the sun
The temple of the Sun in Coricancha, occupied more than half the width of what is now the Church of Santo Domingo. In this temple, recalls Garcilaso, the ancient corpses of the Sons of the Sun were embalmed and placed on gold chairs and tables, the walls were covered with gold plates, and on the gold plate there was a disk representing the image of the sun. The walls of this great temple were covered with gold plates. At its western end it corresponds to the drum that currently faces the Avenida el Sol, at its eastern end it reaches the current atrium of the church of Santo Domingo.
The Temple of the Moon
The temple of the moon was close to the temple of the sun, because it was considered the wife of the sun. All this great temple was lined with silver plates in the interior of the same temple were kept the malquis or mummies of the Coyas according to the order of antiquity, this temple was destroyed upon the arrival of the Spanish conquest where today is the church of Santo Domingo.
The temple of Venus and the Stars
The temple is where the stars, servants of the moon, daughters of the sun and the moon, are consecrated. The Incas believed that the stars were placed in the sky to correspond to all the animals of the Earth. In the middle part of the Hall of the Stars is a ceremonial niche where you can see bas-relief works and remains of the auquenidos. This niche is directly related to the winter solstice sunrise.
The Temple of Illapa or of the ray
Illapa means lightning in the Quechua language and is also attributed to lightning and thunder. The temple is located in front of the temple of Venus, it has 3 doors of simple jamb, equidistant and slightly trapezoidal, it also has a window on each side wall.
The temple of Rainbow or Kúychi
This temple was dedicated to the worship of the Rainbow, this temple had architectural features similar to the temple of lightning that was destroyed by the Spanish conquest.
The great solar garden
It became the vast deposit of offerings that all the conquered and confederate nations brought to the Sun God; the offerings were composed of representations of the flora and fauna of the Tahuantinsuyo. Some historians claim that these offerings, which were made of gold and silver, were life-size and filled them unexpectedly. Because of the numerous terraces, the Spaniards gave it the name of El Jardín Solar (The Solar Garden). It was converted into an orchard by the Dominican friars during colonial times. It can be seen from Avenida el Sol on the western side of Coricancha.
The plain of the Sun
In Inca times, in front of all the temples they built large squares called Inti pampa or plains of the Sun, a place where the nobles, Inca court, Inca service personnel and dancers lived, it is here where they gave courses for the festivities of the Inca deities.
What are the opening hours of the Coricancha?
The schedule of attention to the public is from Monday to Saturday from 08:00 to 17:00 hrs and on Sundays from 14:00 to 16:00 hrs.
The entrance fee for national and foreign tourists is 15 nuevos soles.
