Qorikancha

Inca Temple of the Sun with Spanish monastery built on top

The Inca Temple of the Sun, the most sacred site in the empire — and one of the clearest demonstrations of colonial conquest anywhere in Peru. The Spanish built the Santo Domingo monastery directly on top of the Inca walls, so what you see is a baroque church sitting on the precisely fitted trapezoid stonework of the original sanctuary. In Inca times the interior walls were sheathed in gold; much of that gold was shipped to Europe to pay Atahualpa's ransom in 1533.

things to do landmark