Temple of the Sun

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Today Roana and I went to Ingapirca, the most significant Inca site in Ecuador. The Inca stonework is amazing. Stones shaped and fitted together with utmost precision. Master craftsmen combining time and skill to create truly praiseworthy structures, able to stand the test of time. Centuries after construction, the remaining stonework is in very good condition. It's a shame that so many of the stones were removed to build foundations for newer buildings.

The Inca's knowledge of astrology was as impressive if not more so than their stonework. They were very in tune with the cycles of the sun, moon, and stars and these astrological entities played an influential role in their lives and the construction of their buildings. The whole site was precisely aligned with these cycles. Walkways were oriented from east to west with the rising and setting of the sun, allowing light to continuously shine within the complexes of buildings where rocks were placed that acted as sundials. These stones allowed the Incas to accurately tell the time and season. In addition, special bowl like holes were carved into stones, filled with water and oriented in a way that the reflected moonlight would tell them the time of month and month of the year. Their calendars were based on the cycle of the moon, 28 days in a month and 13 months in a year. So there were some stones with 28 bowls and some with 13, corresponding to either days or months respectively. Slits in their buildings were oriented so at different times of the year, different alters were illuminated buy the sun depending on its trajectory through the sky. On the summer solstice, a very sacred day for the Incas, a special alter was illuminated for the ocasion.

Centuries later we live in a seemingly different world, out of tune with the astrological cycles. Electricity has broken us free from our dependence on the sun for light. We can now simply flip a switch to fill our homes with that eternal halogen glow. Smog and light pollution hide the stars. And most people pay no attention to the cycles of the moon. But to some of us, the heavens still instill awe and wonder. And on a quiet mountain night, if you stare deep into the vastness of space, you may feel the presence of what ancient civilizations called god. And by looking out at the stars, we often look within and gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in this magical universe.

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