Muyuq Marka, Archaeological site at Saqsaywaman fortress, Cuzco, Peru

Muyuq Marka is a circular structure within the Saqsaywaman fortress in Cuzco that features three concentric stone walls connected by radial walls forming a geometric pattern. The remaining foundations still show this elaborate arrangement with multiple intersecting lines that reflect careful architectural planning.

Muyuq Marka was one of three towers on the upper part of Sacsayhuamán. In 1536, during the battle for the fortress, the Inca captain Cahuide led a thousand Cuzco soldiers in its last defence, without water, food or sufficient stones and arrows; alone and surrounded, he leapt from the tower rather than surrender to the Spaniards. The towers were later dismantled, and their bases were only found in 1934 by Luis Valcárcel's excavation.

The Quechua name means "round place", after the circular plan of the tower. Sixteenth-century chroniclers described three towers on the hilltop; Pedro Sancho de la Hoz called the middle one cubic, while Inca Garcilaso de la Vega insisted it was round. Garcilaso also wrote that he played in the tunnels beneath the towers as a child, until the Spaniards began dismantling them.

The site sits at an elevated position and offers views over the Cuzco valley as you explore the stonework. It is advisable to wear comfortable shoes since the ground is uneven and walking around takes time.

The chronicler Pedro Sancho de la Hoz described the central tower as cubic with four or five stacked bodies, while Garcilaso de la Vega insisted it was round. Both agreed on three towers of considerable size. Excavations led by Luis Valcárcel in 1934 uncovered the bases of Muyucmarca and Sallacmarca; no trace of Paucamarca has been found.