Architecture of the Incas

The Incas enjoyed making buildings that go with the landscape. The buildings are made by well-cut stone. Doorways and niches sloped inwards slightly towards the top. Most of the roofs also sloped inwards toward the top.

The architecture was mostly simple and formal. The decorations were mostly on the inside of the door except for the brightly -colored doorways. The paintings inside were very simple. It was not to save labour, but just because the Incas liked it that way. The Incas were such good builders that even today you could not stick a thin knife through any of it. Most of the Incas work was sturdy enough that it survived earthquakes. Click on the graphic on the right for a photograph of the the Inca city of Cuzco where you can see the old architecture combined with the new.

On the coast the architecture is different. The houses there are made of mud brick and not stone. But near the coast brick was not needed.

• Before construction began, an architect made a model of the building. On site he explained his design to a surveyor and a stone mason.
• Workmen quarried the giant stones by drilling holes along the rock's fault line, to weaken it, then levered the splintered stones out.
• The stones were then transported on a series of rollers or on a carrying frame. Hundreds of workers took part in this back-breaking work.
• The irregularly shaped stones were pounded with a stone ball and scrubbed hard with stone block until their surfaces were smooth.
• An earth ramp was used to haul stones up to the higher levels of the wall. The largest stones were placed at the bottom.
• A skilled craftsman chiselled the final touches to the fine rectangular blocks used only for the most important parts of the building.
• Click on the graphic on the right for a photograph of the remains of an Inca temple where you can see examples of the giant stones used by the Inca builders.

The Sapa Incas had many palaces in the important towns. The palaces were large places with buildings around court yards. Close to where the Sapa Incas and the Queen lived were the royal servants' houses.

There were also many places for visitors and places for the captives from other tribes. Other houses were used to store the things that were needed.

At one side of the palace walls there is a special place for Sun Virgins. These were specially-selected young girls to be taught religion and domestic duties by Mamacuna, special teaching nuns. The girls learned many things such as weaving , cooking and many religious ceremonies At the age of 13 or14 they went to Cuzco for the festival of the Sun where the Sapa Inca decided their future. Some he choose as his wives and others for the members of his family. Click on the graphic on the right for some photographs of the Inca city of Machu Picchu which were taken in 1915.