Twelve Angled Stone

Hatun Rumiyoc, the street of the great stone, runs beside what was the palace of Inca Roca and is now the Archbishop's Palace, and its wall is a textbook of Inca polygonal masonry - irregular blocks of green diorite, each cut to fit its particular neighbours, faces slightly pillowed, joints so tight that the standard demonstration is that a blade will not enter. The twelve-angled stone is the celebrated one: a single block whose visible face has twelve corners, each matching a neighbouring stone exactly. It is a symbol of the city, printed on a beer label and on tourist material everywhere. The stone was damaged by a visitor in 2018, which led to closer supervision, and a guard is usually present. Looking at the whole wall is more rewarding than looking at the one stone; the same street has other blocks with ten and more angles.

What you actually see

• The stone - twelve angles on one face, each matched to a neighbour.
• The wall - green diorite polygonal masonry along the whole street.
• The joints - fitted without mortar and without a visible gap.
• The palace - the Inca Roca wall now supporting the Archbishop's Palace.

When to go

April to October, though the street is open at all times. Early morning or evening avoids the queue of groups. Ten to twenty minutes.

Honest expectations

It is one stone in a wall, and people who have queued behind three tour groups often say so. Touching it is not allowed and a guard enforces this. The street is narrow and crowded, with costumed photo sellers working it.

Nearby

Qorikancha is a short walk south; the Plaza de Armas is west.