[3] In the late 16th century, the Viceroy Francisco de Toledo and the clergy destroyed those Intihuatana which they could find.

[5] Intihuatana was damaged on September 8, 2000 when a crane being used in an ad shoot toppled over and chipped off a piece of the granite.

The Intihuatana of Machu Picchu was carved directly into the bedrock of the mountain's summit area.

Featuring a slightly inclined plane at its top, an upright stone column tilts 13 degrees northward.

[9][10][11] Pedro Sueldo Nava describes the landmark as "perhaps one of the most beautiful and enigmatic places to be found in Machu Picchu.