An Inca ceremonial site 6 km northeast of Cusco on the road toward Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo (Quechua for "zigzag") is a large limestone outcrop carved with channels, niches, steps, and an underground chamber that archaeologists believe was used for ritual sacrifice and mummification. The name comes from the zigzag channels cut into the rock surface, through which offerings of chicha and blood were poured and the direction of flow used for divination.
The underground chamber is the most striking element: a room carved entirely from the living rock, with an altar and niches, accessible through a narrow tunnel. The site is usually included in the circuit of ruins around Cusco — Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay — covered by the Boleto Turístico. It is much less visited than Sacsayhuamán, which makes it more atmospheric.