A Peruvian Education: Part II (Qorikancha)

While in Cusco, Peru, we visited Qorikancha.  During the height of the Inca empire (approx. 1400 - 1532), Qorikancha was the most important Incan temple.  The walls of this temple were literally covered in gold; hence, the Quechua* name “Qorikancha,” translated “Golden Temple.” 

That is, Qorikancha was covered in gold before the Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1532.  When the Spanish invaded Cusco, the capital of the Incan empire, they were a bit greedy (as invaders tend to be).  Within nine months, the Spanish had melted down all of the gold in Qorikancha and sent most of it back to Spain.

The Spanish also brought Catholicism with them.  Qorikancha originally had five temples, dedicated to the gods of the sun (father), moon (mother), stars (children), rainbow, and lightning.  The Spanish demolished part of Qorikancha while searching for more gold, then realized that gold was not hidden within the stone walls or floors, and incorporated the remaining Incan stonework** into the construction of a Spanish colonial building.  Qorikancha was rebuilt as a cathedral, the Church of Santo Domingo.  It still functions as a cathedral.

This diagram demonstrates the Quechua conception of God:

Our tour guide pointed out the sun, moon, stars, rainbow, and lightning, as well as the Inca (the king) and his wife and a few other objects associated with divinity.  However, you will also notice a large oval with a triangle in the middle.  This represents God.  According to our tour guide, the Quechua people believed that there was really only one God.  However, they did not build God a temple because it is impossible to build something significant enough for a Supreme Being.  You cannot contain God.  The sun, moon, stars, etc., were merely expressions of His divinity, only significant because they were physical manifestations of a Being beyond comprehension, linking humanity with God.

This reminded me of a wise man, Solomon, who once said, during the dedication of an incredibly impressive temple,

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth?  Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!  Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there, that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place.’  And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place.  And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive” (I Kings 8:27-30).

What an incredible God.
 
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*Quechua refers both to the people and the language of native Peruvians (at least, those native to the highlands/mountains of Peru; there were other people groups along the coast and in the jungle).  The title Inca refers to the king of the Quechua, but the Spanish used the term to refer to the entire people group.  I will probably use the terms Quechua and Inca to refer to the same people.

Inca stone wall at Machu Picchu, Peru.

**Inca stonework is astounding.  While the Spanish colonial buildings crumbled during massive earthquakes in 1650 and 1950, the Inca stonework barely moved.  The stones fit together perfectly without mortar.  There were 18 different Inca techniques for stonework.  Alas, the computer is being funky and will not allow me to upload a few favorite stonework pictures, so these will have to do for now:

Sun temple at Qorikancha (note the reflection of the Spanish pillars in the background... alas, we were not permitted to take pictures of the Spanish aspects added to Qorikancha due to colonial paintings sensitive to flash photography.)

Part of the Inca ruins at Sasquahuaman, Cusco, Peru.  This stonework obviously differs in technique from the other pictures, but I thought I'd highlight the sheer size of some of the stones.