THE SECTORS OF PISAQ

Q’ANTU RAQAY.

This is the higher sector of all P’isaq, about its name is lost like the another’s, because during the colonial time the inkas were forced to forget everything that could remember them about themselves, and no many chroniclers mention the original names, that is why we just have hypothetical names, this sector is called as Q’antu Raqay, Q’antu is the name of a flower (kantua buxifoglia) that was considered as sacred during inka times and Raqay means inclosure, some people use to call this sector as Q’anchis Raqay, Q’anchis means seven (number) and Raqay means inclosure, it's constituted by many buildings with “p’irka” (rustic) stile construction, has an open square from where you can see many Andean terraces that were used for agriculture, taking advantage the geography of the zone, on the top of the sector there are some rooms and to get there you have to walk along stairs and some handrail that were worked drilling some wall stone, when you arrive you see a double-jump door, that means that the construction in is sacred, there is a little square with 2 rooms at your left, 1 wall that surrounds the plaza and another room in front to you, this room has the shape of a Q’antu flower (Q’antu looks like a bell and the shape of this room is similar to a bell), perhaps it is the reason why the name of this sector, all the rooms and the wall have niches into that served maybe to put into images of some deities or sacred elements, because this area is connected with the cemetery, and possible here the andean priest gave the last good-bye to important mummies before to be out into their tombs (something similar to the deathwatch that we have nowadays).

According to some archeologist, they mention that probable the Q’antu Raqay sector is the most ancient construction of all the area of P’isaq, also they found remains from the “killke” pre-inka culture, which expanded until this area.
This sector was a control of access to the sacred valley and of course to the religious zone where just could get into the Willaq Uhma (andean priest) and some pilgrims who used to arrive to deposit their presents and offers.