Sacred Square

This square has major buildings on three sides, making it one of the more important ceremonial areas of Machu Picchu [1]. As you enter the plaza, the first building on the left is somewhat crude. It probably served a specific utilitarian function and was plastered over to give it a finished look.

The temple on the right, which overlooks the main square of Machu Picchu, is known as the Temple of the Three Windows and is built of gigantic stones like the structures in Sacsayhuamán [2]. The three giant trapezoidal windows were perfectly fitted, and there are two additional windows, which were later filled to make niches.

Although the exact purpose of this building is unknown, ritual ceramics such as keros (drinking cups) were found in the foundations in the 1980s.

The construction here was never completed. We know this because a marker that indicates where a rock should have been chiseled is still visible on the northwestern wall. To the west of this plaza is a circular wall similar to Cusco’s Coricancha [3] (sun temple).