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'Písac' is a Peruvian village in the Sacred Valley on the Urubamba River. The village is well-known for its market every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, an event which attracts heavy tourist traffic from nearby Cusco. One of its more notable features is a large ''pisonay'' tree which dominates the central plaza.^[1] The sanctuary of Huanca, home to a sacred shrine, is also near the village. Pilgrims travel to the shrine every September.
The area is perhaps best known for its Incan ruins, known as Inca Písac, which lie atop a hill at the entrance to the valley. The ruins are separated along the ridge into four groups: ''Pisaqa'', ''Intihuatana'', ''Q'allaqasa'', and ''Kinchiracay''.^[2] ''Intihuatana'' includes a number of bathes and temples. The Temple of the Sun, a volcanic outcrop carved into a "hitching post" for the Sun (or Inti), is the focus, and the angles of its base suggest that it served some astronomical function. ''Q'allaqasa'', which is built onto a natural spur and overlooks the valley, is known as the citadel.^[3]

The hillside is lined with agricultural terraces constructed by the Inca and still in use today. With military, religious, and agricultural structures, the site served at least a triple purpose. Besides a country estate, it is thought that Písac defended the southern entrance to the Sacred Valley, while Choquequirao defended the western entrance and the fortress at Ollantaytambo the northern.
The narrow rows of terraces beneath the citadel are thought to represent the wing of a partridge (''pisaca''), from which the village and ruins get their name.³ The birds are also common in the area at dusk.

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External Links

References

1. Pisac Market and ruins
2. Footprint Peru Handbook, , Ben, Box, , , ISBN 1903471516
3. The Rough Guide to Peru, , Dilwyn, Jenkins, Rough Guides, , ISBN 1843530740

External Links

★ Pisaq Inca Ruins, a Photo Gallery