| |
|
 |
|
|
Continuing the route toward the east of the city, by the road toward Puno, in Km. 125 is the Raqchi village which belongs to the district of San Pedro de Cacha, province of Canchis. Raqchi is found on the right bank of the Vilcanota River, at an altitude of 3500 mts. (11500 ft.). Apparently its pre-Hispanic name was "Cacha" and not "Raqchi".
Name which the origins and right pronunciation are unknown. The evidences indicate that Raqchi was a complex village with multiple constructions for various purposes; including farming terraces, "kanchas" (apartments), "wayranas" (buildings having only 3 walls), "qolqas" (storehouses), different shrines, religious water fountains, etc. Possibly, it was an important "tambo" in the route toward the "Collasuyo". The most important building within the complex is the "Wiraqocha Temple", that according to ancient chroniclers was made built by Inka Wiraqocha in homage to the Superior Invisible God of Andean people: "Apu Kon Titi Wiraqocha.
The "Wiraqocha Temple" is a grandiose construction for its era. Architectonically it is classified as "kallanka"; that is, a large building completely covered with a thatched roofing (wood and "ichu"); it is outwardly 92 m. (302 ft.) long and 25.25 m. (83 ft.) wide. Its central wall is manufactured with very well carved stones in the base for a height of about 3 m. and adobes (sun-dried mud-bricks) upwards, it has 1.65 m. of thickness by the base and it had about 1.30 m. by the upper part. Today that wall has 12 m. of height, a century ago it had 15 m. and according to a hypothetical reconstruction consigned by Santiago Agurto originally it must have reached 16.60 m. Its lateral walls had 1.20 m. of thickness and they must have reached about 3 m. of height. Its roofing must have been impressive covering almost 2500 m² with its slope inclination of about 50°. There were circular columns which bases are still found between the central wall and the lateral ones for supporting the roof; those columns had 1.60 m. of diameter and about 9.80 m. of height.Furthermore, in this same site there are some other very important sectors with remains of "wayranas" and a great amount of "qolqas" with walls of "pirka" type.
|