Historical beliefs · Documented tradition
Inti: the Sun in Inka Cusco
In the Inka capital, Cusco, the most important temple was dedicated to the Sun, Inti. Across the Andes, the June solstice is still celebrated.
The record
- Who
- The Inka state; Andean communities today
- Where
- Cusco and the Andes
- When
- Inka period (temples); Inti Raymi today
- Kind of evidence
- Temples and festival (Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian)
- A living tradition?
- Yes: Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun
The Qorikancha
The Smithsonian describes the Qorikancha, the golden enclosure, as the empire's religious centre and most important temple, dedicated to the Sun, its walls covered in gold. Forty-one sacred lines, ceques, ran from it to holy places across the valley. A second temple to Inti stood at Saqsaywaman, in upper Cusco.
Inti Raymi in June
Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, celebrates the winter solstice in many Andean cultures. In the Andes, south of the equator, the June solstice is the shortest day, and the festival welcomes the returning Sun: the same astronomical moment that is midsummer in Europe.
Sources
- Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian The Great Inka Road: Cusco (opens in a new tab) for the Qorikancha, dedicated to the sun; 41 ceque lines; Saqsaywaman dedicated to Inti · checked 2 October 2026
- Smithsonian Institution Celebrate the Winter Solstice of the Andes (16 June 2014) (opens in a new tab) for Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, a celebration of the June (winter) solstice across many Andean cultures · checked 2 October 2026