Ollantaytambo,
probably one of the most visually perplexing sites within Peru. Claimed to be that of the Incas, and at an altitude of 2,792 metres above sea level, once one takes a good look at this place, it becomes near impossible to believe that the Inca civilisation, with their access to such limited technologies, could have created such a place. (assuming that they had no advanced tech, lol i credit the human mind with a lot more than that), During the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti, according to academia, when he conquered the region, he built the town and the ceremonial centre within. It is such an impressive perfectly placed strategic structure, that at the time of the Spanish conquest, it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance. Nowadays the area is called the Sacred Valley of the Incas and is an important tourist attraction. However, as mentioned many times on our channel, how could a civilisation create such astonishing architecture, at such an early time within known history?Furthermore, why did they create some of these sites, what purpose could they have served? Some of the ruins that can be found in Peru, and in particularly Ollantaytambo, you cannot help but wonder, if for example, the giant stairs calved into the hillside, were intended for human use, then why create them to such enormous scales? According to the history books, around the mid-15th century, the Incan emperor Pachacuti, “conquered” Ollantaytambo, including the surrounding region. All were incorporated into his personal estate. The emperor then claims to have rebuilt the town with sumptuous constructions, and undertook extensively terracing and masterfully irrigating the Urubamba Valley... Notably, without any prior knowledge of these techniques known of… The main settlement at Ollantaytambo has an orthogonal layout, with four longitudinal streets crossed by seven parallel streets. At the centre of this grid, is a large plaza that was open to the east and surrounded by halls, and other town blocks on its other three sides. Buildings in the northern half are more varied in design. Interestingly, the amount of erosion that has occurred over the years, has rendered the original plans is hard to establish, perhaps a clue to its true age? Were these giant ledge steps once used by giants? Or possibly, had a use similar to the ancient site known as Morray? Morray, also claimed to be Inca, this mind-boggling site had an astonishing purpose. It seems the builders of this enormous structure, were masters of horticulture. They had somehow figured out that by creating these raised ledges, at particular angles to the seasonal winds and sun, using this to slowly acclimatise plants previously not suitable to that climate over many generations. Perhaps this is what Ollantaytambo was used for? Moray is little shared by academia, indeed, its existence and once function, is difficult to explain with modern paradigms. And although not giants, we feel the sites once use, was no less impressive
