What is the name of the Inca astronomical stone at Machu Picchu?

The Inca astronomical stone at Machu Picchu is called the Intihuatana. It is a carefully carved ritual stone associated with the Inca observation of the sun and the seasonal calendar.

The name comes from Quechua: inti means “sun,” while wata- means “to tie” or “to hitch.” It is therefore often translated as “Hitching Post of the Sun,” although the phrase describes a cultural interpretation rather than evidence that the Incas literally believed the sun was physically tied to the stone.

The Intihuatana stands in a prominent ceremonial area of Machu Picchu, the 15th-century Inca citadel in present-day Peru. Its carved surfaces and projecting form may have helped mark solar positions or important dates, but scholars do not treat every popular astronomical claim about it as proven. Sacsayhuamán is a fortress complex, while Inti Raymi is a festival honoring the sun.