The annual Festival of the Sun is a revival of the celebrations held by the Incas on the June solstice, and was faithfully reconstructed in Quechua from the Spanish chronicles by a group of Cusco intellectuals in 1944, who chose June 24th because it was already a holiday in honour of the Peruvian peasant class.
The festival is held at the monolithic ruins of Sacsayhuaman, on the hill of the same name high above Cusco’s Plaza de Armas, but the rituals begin at Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun, from where the Inca and his queen are carried uphill on their litters.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Inti Raymi is the enormous popularity it enjoys with the ordinary people of the Cusco region. Thousands flock to Sacsayhuaman each year from far and wide, crowding the ruins in a display of colour that rivals the celebrations themselves.
Contact us if you would like to combine your trip to Peru with a traditional festival |
