How were the giant stones joined?

Precisely cut to fit without mortar

What happened to many of its smaller stones?

Spaniards reused them to build Cusco

Sacsayhuamán Quiz: Zigzag Inca Walls Above Cusco

This Sacsayhuamán quiz climbs above Cusco in Peru to the great Inca walls. Play 10 interactive questions on Emperor Pachacuti, three zigzag terraces, enormous stones fitted with no mortar, Cusco's puma-shaped plan, the 1536 siege by Manco Inca, stones taken to build colonial Cusco, the Inti Raymi festival and UNESCO status.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

City
Which city does Sacsayhuamán overlook?
Builder
Which Inca ruler is linked to its construction?
Walls
What shape do its great walls make?
Mortar
How were the giant stones joined?
Weight
How heavy are the largest stones?
Puma
In Cusco's puma-shaped plan, what is Sacsayhuamán?
Siege
Who used it in 1536 during the siege of Cusco?
Stones
What happened to many of its smaller stones?
Festival
Which festival is re-enacted there each June?
UNESCO
When was Cusco, including Sacsayhuamán, listed by UNESCO?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which city does Sacsayhuamán overlook?
Answer: Cusco
It was the Inca capital.
Q2: Which Inca ruler is linked to its construction?
Answer: Pachacuti
He expanded the empire greatly.
Q3: What shape do its great walls make?
Answer: Zigzags
Three tiers of terraces.
Q4: How were the giant stones joined?
Answer: Precisely cut to fit without mortar
A blade cannot slip between some joints.
Q5: How heavy are the largest stones?
Answer: Over 100 tonnes
How they were moved is still studied.
Q6: In Cusco's puma-shaped plan, what is Sacsayhuamán?
Answer: The head
The city formed the body.
Q7: Who used it in 1536 during the siege of Cusco?
Answer: Manco Inca's forces
Spanish forces later took it.
Q8: What happened to many of its smaller stones?
Answer: Spaniards reused them to build Cusco
Only the biggest remain.
Q9: Which festival is re-enacted there each June?
Answer: Inti Raymi
It honors the Sun god.
Q10: When was Cusco, including Sacsayhuamán, listed by UNESCO?
Answer: 1983
It is part of the Cusco site.

Giant Stones Fitted Without Mortar

Sacsayhuamán stands on a hill above Cusco, the old Inca capital in Peru. Much of it was built in the 1400s under Emperor Pachacuti, who expanded the Inca Empire. Its three tiers of zigzag walls are made of huge stones, some over 100 tonnes, cut so precisely that they fit together without mortar.

Cusco is said to have been planned in the shape of a puma, with Sacsayhuamán as its head. Scholars debate whether it was mainly a fortress or a religious and ceremonial center. In 1536, Manco Inca's forces used it during their siege of Spanish-held Cusco before the Spanish captured it.

After the conquest, Spaniards took many smaller stones to build churches and houses in Cusco, leaving only the giants. Each June, the Inti Raymi festival honoring the Sun is re-enacted on the esplanade. Sacsayhuamán is part of the UNESCO-listed city of Cusco.

What This Quiz Teaches

History fans will enjoy these questions.

Who built it
How its walls were made
How it fits Cusco's plan
Which battles it saw
Which festivals happen there

Did You Know?

Earthquakes have shaken Cusco, yet Inca walls survived.
The name is often said to mean satisfied falcon.
Children slide down a natural rock slide nearby.
Llamas often graze on the esplanade.
The altitude is over 3,500 meters.