Qenko, Cuzco, Peru

Q'enqo, Qenko, Kenko, or Quenco (all from Quechua for "zig-zag") is an archaeological site located about 6 km north east of Cusco, Peru.

It is one of the largest huacas (holy places) in the Cusco Region. Many huacas were based on naturally occurring rock formations.

It is believed to be a place where sacrifices and mummification took place.

Sign indicating the entrance to Qenko
The Qenko Archaeological Complex is made up of two sites:

The Big One (El Grande), which is at the foot of the road that goes from Sacsayhuaman to Pisac.
The Little One (El Chico), which is 350 meters west of the previous one, on the hillside.

Qenko Plan
Plan Legend:

Parking lot
Inca retaining wall
North courtyard and north feline
Wooden staircase and zig-zag crossing
South courtyard and south feline
Exit from the underground sanctuary
Little Qenko

Panorama of the north courtyard
The north courtyard (Plan No. 3) features a monolith that has been identified as the remains of a damaged feline statue.

The north courtyard is on a higher plane than the south courtyard.

Monolith in the north courtyard
This menolith has been identified as the damaged remains of a feline statue.

Panorama of the Inca retaining wall
The care with which the stones of the retaining wall (Plan No. 2) are polished gives us an idea of the importance that the Incas attached to this sacred place.

Panorama of the wooden stairs
Nowadays we go down from the upper level to the lower level via wooden stairs (Plan No. 4).

Entrance to the zig-zag maze
At the bottom of the wooden stairs is the entrance to the zig-zag maze (Plan No. 4).

Crossing the zig-zag maze

Underground chamber
Halfway through the zig-zag maze we can peek into the underground chamber.

Continuing to go through the zig-zag maze

End of the zig-zag maze
At the end of the zig-zag maze is the lower courtyard (Plan No. 5).

Monolith in the south courtyard
The southern courtyard (Plan No. 5) also features a monolith thought to be the destroyed remains of a feline statue.

Entrance to the underground chamber

Graphic representation of the underground chamber
The sign at the entrance gives us a graphic representation of the underground chamber.

Entering the bowels of the Earth
Pachamama is the name that the people of the Andes give to a deity that they worship and that represents the Earth.

In Inca mythology she is a type of "Mother Earth" goddess, as well as of fertility, who presides over sowing and harvest, embodies the mountains and causes earthquakes.
She is also an ever-present and independent deity who has her own creative power to sustain life on this earth.
Her shrines are sacred rocks or the trunks of legendary trees.
See more at Pachamama - Wikipedia.

Low platform
Just at the entrance to the underground chamber, on the left side, there is a low platform that could be used to place offerings or to prepare victims.