It is said that Qoricancha hid a golden disc within its Inca walls. But why was such a sacred temple turned into a convent? The answer is that the Spanish had other plans.
This blog will take you on a journey to the past and give you all the details you need to visit Qoricancha in Cusco.
Meaning of Qoricancha: Why did it shine so much?
The name Qoricancha comes from Quechua, where "Quri" means gold and "Kancha" means temple or enclosure. That’s why it’s known in Spanish as the “golden temple.” It also has different spellings like Koricancha or Qurikancha.
On the other hand, it is also called “Intiqwasin,” where “Intiq” means sun and “wasin” means home, making it the “house of the sun.”
The Incas built it as a temple for the god Inti in the Hanan Pacha. Gold plates covered the edges of Qoricancha’s walls. The temple was so sacred that people had to enter barefoot, with their heads lowered, and fasting.
The Patio of Gold
In the “golden patio,” there are six rectangular rooms made with finely carved stone blocks. Side walls surrounded this sacred place.
The most sacred part of the Sun Temple is the curved wall, which you’ll notice as soon as you see Qoricancha. This is according to Garcilaso de la Vega. The Incas used wood covered with straw for the roof. Also, all four walls of the temple were decorated with gold sheets.