Sacsayhuamán

From my home on a high hill, I watch over a beautiful city of red roofs. My walls are not straight and smooth. They zigzag across the land like a giant lightning bolt frozen in stone. I am made of enormous rocks, some bigger than a school bus and heavier than a whole herd of llamas. People touch my cool, gray sides and wonder, "How did these giant stones get here?". They trace the lines where one stone meets another, amazed at the puzzle. For centuries, I have stood guard, a mystery on the mountain. I am Sacsayhuamán, a great fortress in Peru.

I was built by the amazing Inca people, who called themselves the children of the sun. Their great emperor, Pachacuti, wanted to build a mighty fortress in the 1400s. There were no big trucks or cranes back then. Instead, thousands of strong people worked together. They pushed and pulled my giant stones for many miles, using ropes and ramps. They were so clever. They carved each stone so perfectly that you cannot even slip a piece of paper between them. I was built to be strong, a place to protect the city of Cusco below. But I was also a special place for parties and celebrations to honor the sun. I was a house of both strength and joy for the Inca empire.

For a long time, I was a happy and busy place. Then one day, everything changed. Spanish explorers, called conquistadors, arrived. In the year 1536, a great battle was fought right here at my walls. Brave Inca warriors fought hard to protect their home and their beautiful city. After the fighting was over, things were different. Some people took my smaller stones and carried them down the hill to build new houses in Cusco. But they could not move my biggest, strongest stones. My great zigzag walls stood tall, a reminder of the mighty people who built me. I was hurt, but I was not broken.

Today, my life is peaceful again. The green lawns between my walls are filled with laughter. Children run and play where Inca warriors once stood. People come from all over the world to see my giant stones. They look up at me with wonder, just like people did so long ago. Every year on June 24th, a wonderful celebration called the Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, brings music and colorful costumes to my grounds. It is a happy day that remembers the Inca people. I am proud to be a place that connects today’s world to the past, showing everyone what great things people can build when they work together.