Iñaq Uyu, Archaeological site in Copacabana, Bolivia.
Iñaq Uyu, also called Aklla Wasi, is an archaeological complex on Isla de la Luna in Lake Titicaca, Bolivia. Its central courtyard is flanked by buildings whose facades carry stepped motifs resembling those at Tiwanaku, alongside Inca architectural elements. The site lies in the La Paz Department, Manco Kapac Province, Copacabana Municipality.
The site was established between 1000 and 1500 CE as a residence for selected women with ceremonial responsibilities. This settlement played a key role in maintaining regional traditions during that era.
The site is also called Aklla Wasi, Quechua for "house of the virgins of the sun", while Iñaq Uyu is Aymara for "pen of the iñaqa", a woman of the Inca noble caste. The name links the enclosure on Isla de la Luna to the chosen women associated with it. Stair motifs on the facades of the central courtyard buildings resemble those at Tiwanaku.
Visitors reach the site by boat from Copacabana, with local guides available to explain the structures. A visit requires basic physical fitness as walkways cross uneven terrain.
Excavations at Iñaq Uyu yielded many ritual objects from the Tiwanaku period, including finely made qirus, gold and silver items and incense burners. Charles Stanish and Brian Bauer call these finds solid evidence of a major Tiwanaku settlement beneath the Inca complex, suggesting a pilgrimage centre stood here before the Incas.
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