 The combined sacred sites of Koricancha and Santo Domingo vividly illustrate the cultural collision between the ancient Andean culture and Western Europe. The extraordinarily crafted Temple of the Sun at Koricancha was the most sumptuous temple in the Inca Empire. Some 4,000 priests and their attendants once lived within its confines. Koricancha also served as the main astronomical observatory for the Incas. Dedicated to worship the sun, the most important deity in the Inca's naturalistic pantheon, the temple complex was a glittering palace straight out of El Dorado legend: Koricancha means "courtyard of gold" in Quechua. The Baroque church of Santo Domingo pales next to the fine stonemasonry of the Incas. In an ingenious restoration to recover both buildings after the 1953 earthquake, a large section of the cloister has now been removed, revealing four original chambers of the temple. The mortarless masonry, the earthquake-proof trapezoidal doorways, the curved retaining walls, and the exquisite carving exemplify the Incas artistic and engineering skills. Best Tours including a Koricancha sighting:
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