Temple of Huaytará

The archaeological complex of Huaytará is located in the district of Huaytará, within the province of the same name, in the department and region of Huancavelica.

The Temple of Huaytará, which is the main construction of the Incas that we find in this archaeological complex, is a work of the Inca Pachacútec (Inca Yupanqui) that was built during the conquest period of the Chincha by the beginning of the 15th century. A century later, during the viceroyalty of Peru, and in the mission of extirpation of idolatries initiated by the Spaniards, this building would be used as a base for the construction of the Catholic church San Juan Bautista de Huaytará.

It is believed that the Inca building, under the church was San Juan Bautista, would have been destined to be a Temple of the Sun, although there are also those who think that it could have been a palace.

Regarding the architecture of the Inca temple of the XV, we can say that it had a trapezoidal plant. Structurally, it was made out of pink gratia stone blocks, with a thickness of 1.65 m. and that reached a height of 3.70 m. The presence of niches, as well as double jamb entrances, is constant in the building; In the façade, which measures more than 9 meters, we can also observe the presence of three-dimensional entrances. All of the above are features that support the hypothesis that it was a building of important value for the Inca ancestors.