Temple of the Moon (Peru)
Encyclopedia
The Temple of the Moon is an Incan ceremonial temple on Huayna Picchu
near Machu Picchu
, in Peru
. The site is made up of stone masonry and an open-face, shallow cave. The temple is arbitrarily named, like many of the sites in Machu Picchu.
In the center of the cave is a throne carved out of rock. Beside the throne are steps that lead deeper into the cave. It is thought that the caves were used to hold mummies
. The Temple of the Moon dates back 1500 years It was rediscovered in 1936. It lies 1,280 feet (390 meters) below the summit on the north side of Huayna Picchu
.
work
in the Temple is said to contain the three planes of the Incan religion
to be depicted: the Hanan Pacha
(the heavens, or world of above), the Kay Pacha (the earth, or physical life), and the Ukju Pacha (the underworld, or world of below), represented respectively by the condor
, the puma, and the snake
.[6] The temple also boasts niches and fake
door
s inserted in the stones, with an enormous 8 meter high by 6 meter wide entrance. The premises are rectangular with the rocks of the mountains as walls. Its three doors are 1.60 meters high (in the front) and 1.00 m high (at the sides). Inside, there are six trapezoidal niches. The "temple", strictly speaking, consists of a major platform supporting a building which is raised 5 meters above the ground, with an 8 meter-high entrance. Huaca de la Luna( Temple of the Moon), containes 6 levels, built on top of the other during a 200-year span, according to Eyewitness travel guide.
, as many other names given to sites in Machu Picchu
. Ruth M Wright and Alfredo Valencia Zegarra, authors of “ The Machu Picchu Guidebook. A self guided tour” say that they find no indication that the lunar ritual played any part in the use of this shrine.[2]
Others argue that The temple gets its name from the way moonlight radiates inside the cave at night.
the mountain and its Gods. They also agree among many others that the name The Temple Of The Moon was arbitrarily given to it.
There is a theory that it must have been a royal
tomb
, place of worship and look-out post. Some believe that this was a place for sacrifices, because the structure has beautiful vaulted niches and empty trapezoids of typical Inca type and in front of the cavern, there is a rock sculpted in the shape of an altar
. Others think Temple of the moon was a ceremonial bathing complex.
), but a fall in many places would have severe results. The trail that leads off from the main Huayna Picchu trail near the saddle is easier and safer, but still presents hazards. Expect at least a 45 minute walk in each direction from this lower trail, and at least an hour from the summit down the alternate trail to the ruins, plus the 45 minute walk back uphill and to the main trail.
Huayna Picchu
Huayna Picchu or Wayna Picchu is a mountain in Peru around which the Urubamba River bends. It rises over Machu Picchu, the so-called "lost city of the Incas" and divides it into sections. The Incas built a trail up the side of the Huayna Picchu and built temples and terraces on its top...
near Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
, in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. The site is made up of stone masonry and an open-face, shallow cave. The temple is arbitrarily named, like many of the sites in Machu Picchu.
In the center of the cave is a throne carved out of rock. Beside the throne are steps that lead deeper into the cave. It is thought that the caves were used to hold mummies
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
. The Temple of the Moon dates back 1500 years It was rediscovered in 1936. It lies 1,280 feet (390 meters) below the summit on the north side of Huayna Picchu
Huayna Picchu
Huayna Picchu or Wayna Picchu is a mountain in Peru around which the Urubamba River bends. It rises over Machu Picchu, the so-called "lost city of the Incas" and divides it into sections. The Incas built a trail up the side of the Huayna Picchu and built temples and terraces on its top...
.
Architecture
The Temple of the Moon consists of three structural components: an overhanging cave with superb stonework, a very tall double-jamb doorway beyond, and farther beyond, several structures including one that again uses a cave. The stoneSTONe
is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Sin-Ichi Hiromoto. Kodansha released the two bound volumes of the manga on April 23, 2002 and August 23, 2002, respectively.The manga is licensed for an English-languague released in North America be Tokyopop...
work
Work
Work may refer to:Human labor:* Employment* House work* Labor , measure of the work done by human beings* Manual labor, physical work done by people* Wage labor, in which a worker sells their labor and an employer buys it...
in the Temple is said to contain the three planes of the Incan religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
to be depicted: the Hanan Pacha
Hanan Pacha
In Inca mythology, Hanan Pacha was the Heavenly underworld. Only righteous people could enter it , crossing a bridge made of hair....
(the heavens, or world of above), the Kay Pacha (the earth, or physical life), and the Ukju Pacha (the underworld, or world of below), represented respectively by the condor
Condor
Condor is the name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere.They are:* The Andean Condor which inhabits the Andean mountains....
, the puma, and the snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
.[6] The temple also boasts niches and fake
Fake
Fake means not real.Fake may also refer to:In music:* Fake , a Swedish synthpop band active in the 1980s*Fake?, a Japanese rock band* Fake , 2010 song by Ai featuring Namie Amuro...
door
Door
A door is a movable structure used to open and close off an entrance, typically consisting of a panel that swings on hinges or that slides or rotates inside of a space....
s inserted in the stones, with an enormous 8 meter high by 6 meter wide entrance. The premises are rectangular with the rocks of the mountains as walls. Its three doors are 1.60 meters high (in the front) and 1.00 m high (at the sides). Inside, there are six trapezoidal niches. The "temple", strictly speaking, consists of a major platform supporting a building which is raised 5 meters above the ground, with an 8 meter-high entrance. Huaca de la Luna( Temple of the Moon), containes 6 levels, built on top of the other during a 200-year span, according to Eyewitness travel guide.
Name
Most scientists and authors believe that the name of the Temple is arbitraryArbitrary
Arbitrariness is a term given to choices and actions subject to individual will, judgment or preference, based solely upon an individual's opinion or discretion.Arbitrary decisions are not necessarily the same as random decisions...
, as many other names given to sites in Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
. Ruth M Wright and Alfredo Valencia Zegarra, authors of “ The Machu Picchu Guidebook. A self guided tour” say that they find no indication that the lunar ritual played any part in the use of this shrine.[2]
Others argue that The temple gets its name from the way moonlight radiates inside the cave at night.
Purpose
The purpose of building of the Temple is not exactly known. Keeping in mind that caves, like springs, were thought to be entrances for gods, they believe the Temple’s purpose was to be a place of worshipWorship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
the mountain and its Gods. They also agree among many others that the name The Temple Of The Moon was arbitrarily given to it.
There is a theory that it must have been a royal
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
, place of worship and look-out post. Some believe that this was a place for sacrifices, because the structure has beautiful vaulted niches and empty trapezoids of typical Inca type and in front of the cavern, there is a rock sculpted in the shape of an altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
. Others think Temple of the moon was a ceremonial bathing complex.
Access
The trail that leads from the summit of Huayna Picchu to the Temple and the Great Cave is very exposed and can be quite slippery. A few spots have a steel handrail cable (a via ferrataVia ferrata
A via ferrata or klettersteig is a mountain route which is equipped with fixed cables, stemples, ladders, and bridges. The use of these allows otherwise isolated routes to be joined to create longer routes which are accessible to people with a wide range of climbing abilities...
), but a fall in many places would have severe results. The trail that leads off from the main Huayna Picchu trail near the saddle is easier and safer, but still presents hazards. Expect at least a 45 minute walk in each direction from this lower trail, and at least an hour from the summit down the alternate trail to the ruins, plus the 45 minute walk back uphill and to the main trail.
External links
- Huayna Picchu, Incan Trail Info
- Huayna Picchu and Temple of the Moon Picture
- http://www.e-peru-travel.com/peru-travel-guide/cusco-machu-picchu-attractions.html
- http://www.enjoy-machu-picchu.org/machu-picchu-surroundings-machu-picchu.php
- http://www.vivatravelguides.com/south-america/peru/cusco-machu-picchu-and-the-sacred-valley/machu-picchu-and-the-inca-trail/machu-picchu-activities/temple-of-the-moon/