Located in the heart of the Eastern Sector and in a very protected location, accessible by a series of stairways and passages is the Temple of the Sun.

The curved walls surround a carved crest of stone that must have been considered highly sacred. Do not confuse this with the Intihuatana, or the “Hitching Post of the Sun.” The Temple of the Sun was used as a solar observatory and this unique complex is the only round building at Machu Picchu. At sunrise during the summer solstice, the sun’s rays flood through the window and illuminate the tower with a precision only the Incas could have executed. Also known as “Torreon,” the temple presents a spectacular semicircular wall and carved steps that fit seamlessly into the existing surface of a natural boulder, forming some sort of altar. Although access inside the temple is not permitted, the outside architecture is spectacular in and of itself. The temple displays some of Machu Picchu’s most superb stonework, and has a window from which the June solstice sunrise and constellation of Pleiades can be observed. In Andean culture the Pleiades continues to be an important astronomical symbol, and the locals use the constellation to calculate the arrival of the rains and to determine the best time of year to plant crops.

Next to the Temple of the Sun is the Chamber of the Princess and below the temple is The Royal Tomb.