The Acllahuasi of Machu Picchu

The Acllahuasi (House of the Virgins of the Sun) is the largest complex in the Inca city of Machupicchu.

It has a single entrance door, something that reaffirms the theory of the Acllahuasi of Machu Picchu. In the acllahuasi lived women dedicated to religious life and fine textiles and goldsmithing.

In the first excavations in Machu Picchu, a large number of female skeletons were found, therefore, this area was known as Aclla Huasi, or city convent, destined to host the “yurac acllas” (chosen by the Inca for religious life).

Over the years, and after several studies of the bone remains that were found, it was found that the skeletons not only belonged to women but also skeletons of men and children.

Inside the Acllahuasi there is a mysterious room of the mortars. This is a room carved in stone on its floor there are two mortars carved in a circular shape, according to some archaeologists say that these mortars were used to grind grains. Other researchers think that these were filled with water and in them, the stars were reflected, with the visions of the cosmos they could see the stars, the moon and read the omens of natural phenomena. Also, around these two mortars there was a local legend, which tells that Governor Pachacutec would have been visited by a being of light who gave him a mirror in which he could see the future and the development of certain questions that he could ask, through this mirror, he could even have traveled through time and brought technologies, tools, and knowledge for the construction of Cusco and Machu Picchu. According to legend, Pachacutec would have ordered the construction of these mortars to place the mirror in them and be able to travel in time.

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