Saqsayhuaman was a formidable fortress of the Incas and looking at the structure it is not hard to see why. Saqsayhuaman was a main factor to the control of Cuzco in 1536 when the Manco Inca laid siege. Saqsayhuaman had towers all over its buildings and buildings with large windows looking out towards the city. There were several store houses within the complex that held an abundance of materials. Looking at the building materials itself, the stones walls were built in many different styles. The two most common styles are the imperial style and the engastado style.
The imperial style had stones that fit so well together that they didn't need any mortar to keep them together. Another interesting structural feature is that on some of the corners were rounded blocks that staggered instead of having a corner, which is more stable than having a pointed corner that we usually see on buildings.
Besides being used for military purposes, Saqsayhuaman was used for ceremonies and rituals. One interesting section of Saqsayhuaman is the part that looks like an alter. The stones used to make this structure aren't clean cut like the rest of the buildings. Maybe the alter wasn't built by the Inca since the style isn't the same as the rest. Or maybe it was built before the styles came into being.
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