thumb|300px|Terrasserna i Ollantaytambo
'''Ollantaytambo''' eller ''Ullantaytanpu'', vilket ungefär betyder ''Min härskares förråd'', tror man är det enda återstående exemplet på för-columbiansk stadsplanering. Det är ett monumentalt arkitektoniskt verk från Inka-tiden. Det är den enda staden från inka-tiden i Peru som fortfarande är bebodd. I dess palatsliknande byggnader bor efterföljande till den högre samhällsklassen i Cusco.

Byggnaderna och gårdarna lika väl som de smala gränderna har sin ursprungliga form. De raka, trånga gatorna bildar i dag femton fyrkantiga kvarter, eller ''canchas'', som har en öppning till en central gård som omges av hus. Ett antal vackra kolonialhus är konstruerade på välarbetade murar från inkatiden av mörk sten.

Den ursprungliga inkabebyggelsen bestod av ett administrativt, religiöst, jordbruks- och militärkomplex.

Ollantaytambos befästning byggdes av inkafolket för att de skulle kunna skydda sig emot angrepp från de djungelindianer som var ett permanent hot emot imperiet.

Stenarna högst upp på befästningen som bildar Soltemplet, är sex till antalet. De väger cirka 50 ton vardera och står tätt intill varandra. De utgör en vägg, men det finns inget "rum" bakom. Stensidorna är konstfullt utförda. Förmodligen lade inkaindianerna stor vikt vid att visa att man behärskade konsten att forma sten.

På några av stenarna i intilliggande murar finns små utbuktningar (protuberanser). De har högst sannolikt endast haft symbolisk betydelse. Enligt den peruanske historikern Víctor Angels kan det röra sig om en form av symbolspråk. Även här är skarvarna mellan stenarna skickligt utförda.

Ollantaytambos befästning ligger på en trapetsformad kulle (på baksidan av terrasserna). Intrycket av detta försvinner dock när man står uppe på befästningen. Stenarna till konstruktionerna har hämtats från andra sidan dalen. Stenarna drogs med hjälp av rep och på tunna färska slanor, vilka lades ''längs med'' transportriktningen.

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'''Ollantaytambo''' is a town and an Ollantaytambo, province of Urubamba, Inca Trail.

==History==
Around the mid-15th century, the Inca emperor estate.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', p. 19.</ref> The emperor rebuilt the town with sumptuous constructions and undertook extensive works of terracing and irrigation in the Urubamba Valley; the town provided lodging for the Inca nobility while the terraces were farmed by ''yanaconas'', retainers of the emperor.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', p. 64.</ref> After Pachacuti's death, the estate came under the administration of his ''panaqa'', his family clan.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', p. 27.</ref>

During the Vilcabamba.<ref>Hemming, ''The conquest'', pp. 222–223.</ref>

In 1540, the native population of Ollantaytambo was assigned in ''encomienda'' to Hernando Pizarro.<ref>Glave and Remy, ''Estructura agraria'', p. 6.</ref>

In the 19th century the Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo attracted the attention of several foreign explorers, among them, Clements Markham, Ephraim Squier, Charles Wiener and Ernst Middendorf published accounts of their findings.<ref>Hemming, ''The conquest'', pp. 559.</ref>

==Description==
The town of Ollantaytambo is located along the Patakancha River, close to the point where it joins the Urubamba River. The main settlement is located on the left margin of the Patakancha with a smaller compound called 'Araqhama on the right margin. The main Inca ceremonial center is located beyond 'Araqhama on a hill called Cerro Bandolista. There are several Inca structures on the surroundings, what follows is a brief description of the main sites.

===Town===
thumb|'Araqhama and the plaza of Manyaraki
The main settlement at Ollantaytambo has an grid, the Incas built a large plaza which may have been up to four blocks large; it was open to the east and surrounded by halls and other town blocks on its other three sides.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', pp. 50, 52.</ref> Inca buildings to the north of the plaza were built out of unworked fieldstones while those to the west and to the south were made with cut and fitted stones.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', p. 52.</ref> All blocks on the southern half of the town were built to the same design: each comprised two ''kancha'', walled compounds with four one-room buildings around a central courtyard. <ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', p. 53.</ref> Buildings in the northern half are more varied in design, however, most are in such a bad condition that their original plan is hard to establish.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', p. 65.</ref>

Ollantaytambo dates from the late 15th century and has some of the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in South America.<ref>Kubler, ''The art and architecture'', pp. 462–463.</ref> Its layout and buildings have been altered to different degrees by later constructions, for instance, on the southern edge of the town an Inca esplanade with the original entrance to the town was rebuilt as a Plaza de Armas surrounded by colonial and republican buildings.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', pp. 48–49.</ref> The plaza at the center of the town also disappeared as several buildings were built over it in colonial times.<ref>Gasparini and Margolies, ''Inca architecture'', p. 71.</ref>

'Araqhama is a western prolongation of the main settlement, across the Patakancha River; it features a large plaza, called Manyaraki, surrounded by constructions made out of adobe and semi-cut stones. These buildings have a much larger area than their counterparts in the main settlement, they also have very tall walls and oversized doors. To the south there are other structures, but smaller and built out of fieldstones. 'Araqhama has been continuously occupied since Inca times, as evidenced by the Roman Catholic church on the eastern side of the plaza.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', pp. 66–70.</ref> To the north of Manyaraki there are several sanctuaries with carved stones, sculpted rock faces and elaborate waterworks, they include the Templo de Agua and the Baño de la Ñusta.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', p. 28.</ref>

===Temple Hill===
thumb|Wall of the Six Monoliths
'Araqhama is bordered to the west by Cerro Bandolista, a steep hill on which the Incas built a ceremonial center. The part of the hill facing the town is occupied by the terraces of Pumatallis, framed on both flanks by rock outcrops. Due to impressive character of these terraces, the Temple Hill is commonly known as the Fortress, however, this is a misnomer as the main functions of this site were religious. The main access to the ceremonial center is a series of stairways that climb to the top of the terrace complex. At this point, the site is divided into three main areas: the Middle sector, directly in front of the terraces; the Temple sector, to the south; and the Funerary sector, to the north.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', pp. 73–74.</ref>

The Temple sector is built out of cut and fitted stones in contrast to the other two sectors of the Temple Hill which are made out of fieldstones. It is accessed via a stairway that ends on a terrace with a half finished gate and the Enclosure of the Ten Niches, a one room building. Behind them there is an open space which hosts the Platform of the Carved Seat and two unfinished monumental walls. The main structure of the whole sector is the Sun Temple, an uncompleted building which features the Wall of the Six Monoliths.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', pp. 81–87.</ref> The Middle and Funerary sectors have several rectangular buildings, some of them with two floors; there are also several fountains in the Middle sector.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', pp. 87–91.</ref>

The unfinished structures at the Temple Hill and the numerous stone blocks that litter the site indicate that it was still undergoing construction at the time of its abandonment. Some of the blocks show evidences of having been removed from finished walls, which provides evidence that a major remodeling effort was also underway.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', pp. 92–94.</ref> It is unknown which event halted construction at the Temple Hill, likely candidates include the war of succession between Huáscar and Atahualpa, the Spanish Conquest of Peru and the retreat of Manco Inca from Ollantaytambo to Vilcabamba.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', p. 269.</ref>

===Terraces=== 
thumb|Terraces of Pumatallis
The valleys of the Urubamba and Patakancha rivers along Ollantaytambo are covered by an extensive set of agricultural terraces which start at the bottom of the valleys and climb up the surrounding hills. The terraces permitted farming on otherwise unusable terrain; they also allowed the Incas to take advantage of the different ecological zones created by variations in altitude.<ref>Protzen, ''Inca architecture'', pp. 30–34.</ref> Terraces at Ollantaytambo were built to a higher standard than common Inca agricultural terraces, for instance, they have higher walls made of cut stones instead of rough fieldstones. This type of high-prestige terracing is also found in other Inca royal estates such as Chinchero, Pisaq, and Yucay.<ref>Hyslop, ''Inka settlement'', pp. 282–284.</ref>