Cusco itself is a super historical place sitting up high at about 11,400 feet (3475 meters) above sea level. Lots of travelers like 1.5 million a year come here. June is really busy because of a big old celebration called Inti Raymi which is about the sun changing seasons.
The Coricancha was a really important religious spot back when the Incas were in charge. People say it was the middle of the Inca world where the Temple of the Sun was. The leftovers of it are right in Cusco at Santo Domingo Plaza. Coricancha is located in the city of Cusco which is in the Cusco region and department at an altitude of about 11,150 feet (3398 meters).
When the Spanish came to Cusco they pretty much took apart most of the Coricancha. They built their Santo Domingo Church right on top of the Inca walls. So only some of the old walls and stories about how much gold was there are left now.
What is Coricancha
Coricancha means “patio of gold” in the old Quechua language. It was a sacred spot even before the Incas built it up dedicated to the sun god. It was built around an open area with rooms for different gods.
An Inca Holy Place
This place was super important for Inca religious ceremonies. The main open area had six rectangle rooms made of stone blocks cut just right. These rooms were for worshiping the gods.
The Main Curved Wall
People like Garcilaso de la Vega who wrote about Inca times said the curved wall you can see today was the most sacred part of the Temple of the Sun. The main altar was there facing east. It had a roof made of wood and straw and the walls were covered in gold plates. The main thing to see was a golden picture of the sun like a face with rays.
Coricancha Through Time
Inca Days
Cusco was built between two rivers and the Coricancha Temple was built around 1438 when Pachacutec was the Inca ruler. They decorated it with tons of gold which is why people called it the “golden temple.”
Spanish Days
After the Spanish arrived Coricancha kept being used for worship but now for the Catholic faith. They started building the Santo Domingo church and convent on the Inca base in 1538. It became a big fancy church and was officially ready by 1633. A big earthquake in 1650 messed it up bad but they rebuilt it by 1681.
Modern Days
Cusco is near a fault line so earthquakes happen. A big one in 1950 at 7.0 power knocked down lots of Spanish buildings. But guess what It showed off how strong the Inca walls of Coricancha were. This caused some disagreements. Some people wanted to keep the old Inca stuff showing and others wanted to rebuild the Spanish church. Because there wasn’t enough money to remove the Spanish parts they ended up agreeing to keep both the Inca walls and the Spanish church.
Coricancha Today
The Coricancha-Santo Domingo place now is a mix of Inca and Catholic styles. It’s a cool monument showing two cultures together. The amazing building style of both the Inca and Spanish parts plus other old sites nearby make it a top place to visit in Cusco. Seeing the mix of Andean and Catholic worship here is pretty unique. You can see it on a city tour around Cusco.
What Coricancha Means
The name Coricancha comes from two Quechua words Cori meaning gold and Cancha meaning courtyard. So it’s “The Golden Courtyard.” Writers from back then called it the house of gold because there was so much gold there.
Building Coricancha
Building Coricancha happened over many years and different times. When the Incas ruled it was a temple for the Sun God Inti. When the Spanish came they changed it to fit the Santo Domingo church. After the 1950 earthquake messed up Spanish parts but showed off the Inca walls they turned the old convent space into a museum. Now you see all these parts together showing how the two cultures came together.
Things to See Inside Coricancha
Temple of the Sun
This was the most important room dedicated to the Sun God Inti. Its walls were covered with sheets of gold. They kept the mummies of Inca rulers here and important things like a golden band and the gold statue of the Sun God Inti.
Temple of Sacrifices
Near the Temple of the Rainbow this room had a stone in the middle that looked like a table. This stone came from an Inca rock pit and they used it for putting offerings or sacrifices for the Inca gods.
Temple of the Moon
This was for the Moon or Mama Killa who they saw as the Sun’s wife. They supposedly kept the mummies of the Inca rulers wives here. This room near the main chapel had silver on the doors and pictures of the Moon. They saw the Moon as the mother of the Incas.
Temple of Venus and Stars
On the west side of the courtyard these rooms were for the planet Venus and the stars. They were long rooms with stone floors. Back then the sun shined into these rooms during the winter solstice. Later the convent used this area.
Temple of the Rainbow
This room was for K’uychi or the Rainbow god. It has two doors and lots of little spaces in the walls. An old writer said they painted a big colorful rainbow arch from one wall to the other here. They called it arco cuychi.
Temple of the Lightning
This room was for worshiping Lightning or Illapa which means thunder or lightning. It has three doors with niches and windows lined up with the Temple of Sacrifices.
The Fountains
The first Coricancha had five fountains. Nobody knew where the water came from it was a secret. Each fountain had a religious meaning and was decorated with nice metals in the Coricancha style.
Solar Garden
This garden also called the Inca orchard was where they grew things like corn and had parties for the Sun God. They would even put corn stalks made out of gold here with gold cobs and leaves that looked real.
Coricancha Museum Visit
There’s a museum at the Coricancha site in Cusco right in the old Temple of the Sun and the Convent of Santo Domingo. It has cool old stuff from Inca before Incas and Spanish times like pottery cloth and metal things. They also have models so you can see how Coricancha looked. Going to the museum helps you see how they fixed up the place. It also teaches you about Inca history and what happened when the Spanish arrived. It’s a must-do if you want to get how Cusco became what it is a mix of cultures.
Cool Coricancha Facts and Stories
Story of the Sun Disk
There’s a story that the Sun God showed up as a person to the Inca Pachacutec during a war. The god showed Pachacutec a mirror pointed out lands to take over and told him to fight hard. After this Pachacutec made the Sun God the main god for the Incas which helped them grow their empire.
The Ransom and the Gold
The Coricancha had the best gold and silver stuff. The Spanish took it all in 1533-1534 as part of the ransom for the Inca ruler Atahualpa. They took huge amounts of gold and silver including the gold plates from the temple walls. A golden statue of the main god Punchao also disappeared but was found later with another Inca leader Tupac Amaru and sent to the King of Spain.
Culture and Local Vibes
Inti Raymi Festival
Inti Raymi or Festival of the Sun was an Inca ceremony on June 21st for the winter solstice to honor the Sun God Inti. Today they celebrate it on June 24th. It starts at Coricancha then goes to the main Plaza de Armas and ends at Sacsayhuaman a big Inca site outside the city.
Qhapaq Raymi Festival
Qhapaq Raymi was another big festival for the Sun King during the summer solstice around December 22nd. They did sacrifices for the Sun God then. They watched the sun Punchao rise over a mountain and shine on Coricancha probably where the Punchao statue was. This festival meant it was time to start planting crops.
Places Nearby to See
- Coricancha Site Museum
- Cusicancha (another old site)
- Cusco’s Main Plaza (Plaza de Armas)
- Inca Museum
- Pre-Columbian Art Museum
- Casa Concha (Machu Picchu Museum)
- Garcilaso House Museum
- Sacsayhuaman (big Inca fortress above Cusco)
Other Cool Stuff in Cusco
Cusco is known for its food too it’s the second best food city in Peru some say. You gotta try some dishes when you visit.
Cuy – Guinea Pig
Eating cuy or guinea pig is a really old tradition in the Andes. People have been eating it forever. You can get it cooked different ways like baked or fried. It usually comes with potatoes and stuffed peppers. Some tours even include trying cuy which is pretty cool.
Alpaca Meat
Alpacas are like smaller llamas. People raise them mostly for their soft fiber but their meat is also good its more tender than llama meat. You usually get alpaca steak with potatoes rice and veggies.
To try more local Cusco foods check out the San Pedro market again lots of good stuff there. Cusco with its deep history and places like Coricancha is definitely a must-see place on your travel list. Discovering the mix of old Inca and Spanish stuff at Coricancha is pretty amazing a real cultural mashup. It’s a place where you can learn a lot just by looking around. Don’t wait too long to check out this famous Temple of the Sun.