The Inca & their architecture

Presentation by , Rashed Idrees ; 

Grade/10
The Inca Empire
• The Inca Empire originated in a village
in the Andes Mountains of South
America about 15 miles south of Cuzco.

• By using their military, the Incas were

able to extend their empire along the
Pacific coast from the northern border
of modern Ecuador to central Chile.
Architecture
• Inca's architecture includes some of the most finely worked stone structures from any
ancient civillization, also known for their most precise stone structures.

• Buildings were almost always practical and pleasing to the eye. They are also remarkably uniform in
design with even grand imperial structures taking on a similar look to more humble buildings, the
only significant differences being the much larger scale and quality of finish.

• Inca's design makes walls resistant: 500 years of earthquakes have left little damage.

•  A particular feature of Inca architecture is that it typically incorporated the natural landscape yet at
the same time managed to dominate it to create an often spectacular blend of geometrical and natural
forms.
Features 
The vast majority of Inca buildings were rectangular and most of these
had a single entrance and were composed of only one room as dividing
walls are not common in Inca design. There are some rare examples of
multiple-doored long rectangular structures and even buildings which
were circular or U-shaped
IN DEPTH
Do you know what makes Inca buildings take a
trapezoid form ?

● Inca exterior walls commonly slope inwards as

they rise (typically around 5 degrees), giving
the building a distinctive trapezoid form. The
trapezoid form is more common in the north
and center of the empire and one of its optical
effects is to make walls seem higher and
thicker than they actually are . 
Pictures 
of Inca's
trapezoid
form walls
 Structures
Rectangular buildings could be grouped in threes (or more) and arranged around an open but
walled courtyard or patio, perhaps the most common Inca arrangement of buildings. This mini-
complex is known as a ''kancha'' and functioned as administrative buildings, workshops,
temples, rooms or a mix of these. Very large buildings are known as a ''kallanka'' and these
typically have several doors and face a large open space, often (once again) trapezoid in layout.
They were probably used for public gatherings and as rooms for representatives of the Inca
administration and were clear public symbols of imperial control. Palaces were similar in
design to smaller buildings just on a larger scale, with finer stonework and very often walled to
restrict access and the viewing of royal personages.
Pictures of the ''kallanka'' buildings 
 Setting
Town planning was an important point of consideration for Inca architects,
the placing of buildings, doors and windows in such a way that views were
seen to their best advantage and that astronomical bodies and events - certain
stars or the sun were visible through these portals. It is rare for the portals of
an Inca building not to consider the environment in which they were
constructed.
 Inca's Society
The Inca society was a vertical organization divided in four social
classes. At the top of the stratum was the Sapa Inca, the most powerful
person in the empire. Below was the royalty, comprised by the sons of
the Sapa Inca and his close relatives. The third social class was the
nobility which included royal relatives and those who attained
distinction through their services such as chiefs. At the bottom of the
pyramidal social structure was the ayllu which included the majority
of the population.
Types of architecture 

01. Civil
02. Military
03. Religious
 Machu Picchu
The most beautiful and impressive ancient Inca ruins in the world, Machu Pichu
was rediscovered in 1911 by Hawaiian historian Hiram after it lay hidden for
centuries above the Urubamba Valley. The “Lost City of the Incas” is invisible from
below and completely self-contained, surrounded by terraces and watered by
natural springs. Although known locally, it was largely unknown to the outside world
before being rediscovered in 1911. Since then, Machu Picchu has become the
most important tourist attraction in Peru.
Pictures of Machu Picchu
Other Ancient Inca Ruins

 Moray
 Pisac
 Tipon
 Maras Salt Mines
 Chinchero
 Kuelap
RESOURCES
● www.worldhistory.org
● www.discover-peru.org
● www.annees-de-pelerinage.com