Qorikancha

The temple was built in the mid-15th century during the reign of the 10th Inca, Túpac Yupanqui. It forms the foundations of the colonial church of Santo Domingo, creating an unusual combination of monolithic Inca and arched colonial architecture. In Inca times the temple walls were clad with 700 sheets of solid gold, proving a tempting lure for the conquistadors. The gold sheets and gold and silver statues are gone, melted down and recast by the Spanish, but the impressively hewn curved wall of basalt stonework remains. It was originally built as an observatory and religious temple to the sun, housing the mummified bodies of the Inca rulers. After the conquest, Francisco Pizarro gave it to his brother Juan, but he was not able to enjoy it for long – Juan died in the battle at Sacsaywamán in 1536. In his will, he bequeathed Qurikancha to the Dominicans, in whose possession it has remained ever since. Today’s site is a bizarre combination of Inca and colonial architecture, topped with a roof of glass and metal.