Tipon, which lies just south of Cuzco, was sacred to
the Inca. Dating back to the 1400's, it was thought to be both the
pillar on which the world rested and the cradle of the Andean world.
Surrounded by a great wall, the beautifully constructed terraces, set with
vertical channels fed by natural springs, were used as a sort of
agricultural research station by the Inca to develop special crop strains.
The crops sowed, mainly cereals and legumes, were carefully designed to
maximize and store the sun's energy, creating in this way a valley
microclimate. This was necessary to facilitate the storage of the
harvest in Qolcas, or storehouses, to be used in times of famine.
The terraced hills formed hundreds of growing areas, meant to last the
Tipon is found in a slightly warm ravine at an
altitude of 11,480 feet. Because of its location and the presence of
a surrounding wall, this place must have been a very exclusive site.
The twelve very fertile terraces are very impressive and are still
cultivated today, and their retaining walls were built with well carved
stones. Even more impressive is the irrigation system that is
still serving agriculture and was made taking advantage of the water
spring existing in this spot. Tipon has carved stone channels,
precisely calculated and sometimes with almost vertical falls that
constitute hydraulic engineering masterwork. The irrigation canals
carved through the rock are linked to other canals throughout the area,
and carry water for over 500 miles.