{"id":7055,"date":"2020-12-09T11:02:41","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T11:02:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/moray-2\/"},"modified":"2023-11-10T10:07:28","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T10:07:28","slug":"moray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/en\/moray\/","title":{"rendered":"Moray In The Sacred Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As majestic as it is mysterious, Moray is an archaeological site nestled in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Follow the guide! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udca1 The Captain’s tip<\/strong> \ud83d\udca1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Want to know more about the history of Cusco? Captain Ulysses highly recommends this free guided tour of the city<\/a><\/mark>. It’s up to you to choose how much you want to tip the guide!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Brief history of the archaeological site of Moray<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While etymology can often throw light on the origins of archeological sites, there remain some doubts as to the semantic origin of Moray. Indeed, Moray could derive from two Quechua words: “Amoray” which means “cornfield” or “the month of harvest”, the sixth month of the Inca calendar (around May), or ” Moraya “, which means “dried out potato”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing is certain, Moray is all about agriculture and botany. Well, that’s what archaeologists think anyway! Moray seems in all likelihood to be a former agricultural research center, where the Incas carried out various experiments on crops and plants (especially vegetables). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The archaeological ensemble was discovered in 1932 during the expedition led by Shirppe Johnson. The archeological site of Moray is organised around three sets of terraces formed by several levels of concentric circles, which are reminiscent of Ancient Greek and Roman amphitheatres. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Overview<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The main circle consists of twelve 2 metre-high terraces built on a stone floor covered with sand and topsoil. Moray has an irrigation system consisting of canals fed by a large basin located on the heights of the site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moray, a botanical laboratory?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Moray is absolutely spectacular to behold, but that’s not all of it! The site also offers incredible insights into Inca culture. Archeologists believe that the 12 terraces created micro climates, thanks to the difference in temperature at each level. The depth, design, and orientation with respect to wind and sun of each terrace were responsible for significant temperature differences between the top and the bottom of the ensemble. A difference of nearly 5 \u00b0 C can be observed between the innermost and the outermost terraces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Moray<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to these micro climates, over 250 species of plants were grown in Moray, including Amazonian plants suited to milder temperatures. Archeologists believe that Moray was some sort of botanical laboratory, much like a seeding nursery for the entire Inca Empire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visiting Moray in Peru<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can visit Moray on your own or opt for an organised day tour from Cusco. To each their own!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Moray<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Visiting the archeological site on your own<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not interested in mingling with other tourists? No problem, getting to Moray is quite easy. Several options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n