Moray

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The circular amphitheatre-like Moray terraces

Moray is a small village and also an Inca archaeological site, of course, the site is located near the village.

This Peruvian Inca archaeological wonder is almost alien-like, reminding us of the crop circles that are said to be made by UFOs. But, of course, Moray was built by humans and its purpose was an agricultural one.

To many of us, the perfectly circular terrace wholes dug into the ground resemble Roman amphitheaters in Europe.

Incas have experimented with different types of agricultural terraces and the Moray site is one of the most spectacular wonders left behind by this great civilization.

Moray can be found at about 50 km northwest from Cuzco, down the road leading to the town of Urubamba and 7 km southwest of another village, Maras.

The crater-like creations, descend to a maximum depth of around 150 m, that's about as deep as a 50-story skyscraper's height... Imagine it! Of course, some of the "craters" start from higher levels of the ground, others start lower and go deeper... The 150 m is the total depth, this meaning the fact that some "craters" are within others, increasing the depth. The biggest depth within a single crater is 30 m, roughly equal to the height of a 10-story building.

Moray is not too often visited, so you shouldn't expect to see large crowds of tourists.

The site is one of the most unique places you can visit in Peru, great place for beautiful photographs and there won't bee too many people filling the field of view to bother you (like there are nowadays in Machu Picchu).

Especially in the afternoon and in the evening, when the sun goes down, the site is very beautiful as the light & shadows run across it...

The discovery of Moray

Moray was discovered in 1932 by Shirppe Johnson's expedition, which flew above the site.

Interestingly, it is more accessible than Machu Picchu, but was discovered 21 years after Hiram Bingham has set his feet on top of the "Old Peak".

The fact that it was discovered so late encourages us to believe that there are perhaps, many similar unique sites in the area that are waiting to be discovered.

Moray is one of its kind, with its unique shape and beauty it attracts adventurers, photographers, but in modest numbers. The place isn't overcrowded with tourists as Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Ollantaytambo and Sacsayhuamán are.

Visiting Moray can be a unique experience, your feeling will be a mix of what you would feel when seeing an ancient Roman amphitheatre, a crop circle, a crate, Inca agricultural terraces. Here you get all these feelings in one package!

Moray's purpose

Experts state that the word Moray's meaning is linked to the words maize harvest ("aymoray") or to the dehydrated potato (which is "Moraya o Moray"), some say that the word can have some connection with the month of May. An exact explanation of the term is not known.

The Incas grew mostly wheat, quinoa, grain, panti and kantu flowers in it and experimented with the results. Even until recently, locals used to grow corn at Moray, but this activity was forbidden in order not to damage the archaeological site.

There's also a system of irrigation canals which was used to water the plantations. The aqueduct system still functions today!

When filled with grown-up plants, it most have been beautiful, colourful.

The Moray circles are built in such way that one can climb up and down the concentric levels by using the star-like stones that were implanted into the sides of the terrace walls.

The exact purpose of why the Incas put so much effort into building Moray is still unknown, but there are many theories. Historian Edward Ranney states that the Incas used the Moray terraces for rare, special plants, like the coca leaves, the same plants that are used to produce cocaine and interestingly Coca-cola too.

Due to the depths of the terraces, the lower levels have lower temperatures, therefore simulating somehow high altitude conditions... Plants that prefer low temperatures could be grown in the lower terraces, where it is cool enough.

The temperature difference between the lowest level and the highest one is 15 ºC, the same difference as between sea level temperature and that at a height of 1.000 m.

Throughout the years, many explorers have analyzed, studied the site and have come up with a variety of theories... John Earls said he has come across "vertical stones in terraces" that would have served to mark the limits of shadows at dusk during the equinoxes and the solstices.

John Earls also affirmed that the a different terraces of Moray reproduce the different temperature areas of the Inca Empire.

However, this seems evident, inevitable: the vast empire had different climate areas with specific temperatures. Because Moray is layered, sunken down into the ground, it is obvious that there will be lower and higher temperatures...

Agriculturally, Moray has a special importance: Incas used to experiment hybridizations of various plants, especially vegetables. It is believed that they would experiment here to see whether some plants were resistant under certain temperatures or not. 

Wild plants were also planted at Moray, the Incas were trying to domesticate them. Yes, indeed, for those who find this sounds surprising: interestingly plants, just like animals can be split into: wild and domestic groups. The latter ones produce more fruit/edible produce and are adequate for consumption, while the previous ones are not that productive and often even grow much larger, occupying much space. With domestication, wild plants are "encouraged" to be more productive, sometimes they are crossed with similar species of domestic ones. These techniques are used by agriculture specialists World-wide.

Experts have found that Moray satisfies at least 20 different climate categories, making it suitable for the plantation of almost any plant from the Inca Empire.

The terraces, experts say, could have been used also for estimating the production of certain plants in the whole Inca Empire.

To most people, the site might seem mysterious, but there's not much mystery around it, its purpose has a rational explanation as explained above: it was a sophisticated layered agricultural system with terraces and aqueducts.

Visit Moray! See the Moray Raymi Festival at this magical place!

The Festival-fever also reaches out to this place. Sacsayhuamán and Cuzco have Inti Raymi, Moray has the Moray Raymi!

Each year, in September, locals gather around the Moray agricultural site and perform traditional acts to celebrate the Moray Raymi Festival, which is dedicated to the Sun God or Inti. This festival is in fact sort of an Inti Raymi, Moray style.

You will see Quechuans celebrating in and around the terraces dressed up as ancient Incas.