Cusco has many and deserved titles, such
as "Historical Capital of Peru", "Archaeological Capital of America"
and "World Heritage Site" by UNESCO
Location
Andean Area in the south of Peru, 11,151 feet (3,399 m.) above sea level.
Distances
From Lima 724 miles (1,165 km) (by
Nazca)
From Arequipa 388 miles (625 km)
From Puno: 241 miles (389 km)
Population
291,000 inhabitants
Weather
The origins of Cusco get lost in the night of times. Archaeological excavations made us
know that primitive residents inhabited the valley of Cusco (except for its bottom, then
marshy) near three millenniums ago.
Toward the XII century, Manco Cápac and his sister-wife Mama
Ocllo emerged from the waters of the Titicaca
Lake, semi Gods daughter and son of Inti (the god Sun), with the
mission of the foundation of a new Kingdom that would improve the conditions of life of
the towns. Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo would have to walk until finding a place in the
earth where the great gold scepter that Manco Cápac had would submerge, they walked to
the north and they arrived to Pacárec Tampu (Pacaritambo) where rested in a small cave;
to the dawn they continued to the north arriving to the hill Huanacaure and there the
scepter submerged, and there he founded the city of Cusco (Quechua Language: the
navel of the world).
Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo left in people's search, and formed the Hanan Cusco. They
taught them how to work the earth and how to sow; they made and used agricultural tools,
artificial irrigation systems, to build and to live in towns.
Inhabitants of other districts arrived when got informed of the events, creating this
way the Tahuantisuyo, the great empire of the
Incas, which limits, after 14 successors of real lineage, reached Colombia by the north,
and northern Chile and Argentina by the south; as capital Cusco reached its maximum
splendor.
It is known little more than names and legends from the first Incas kings, from
Pachacútec (1448-1471) more information has gotten, the great conqueror who transformed
Cusco, reconstructing it. The Spaniards arrived and occupied the city in 1533, when
Huascar (Pachacútec's grandson) was the Inca king.
In this time Cusco was a city of admirable architecture made in stone with wide plazas,
big temples and palaces decorated with abundant gold pieces. Many of these colossal
constructions have been built for the eternity.
The Spanish Cusco has like base the foundations of the Inca walls and the lines of its
streets, numerous buildings and churches were built, and a flourishing art school was
founded (XVII century - XVIII), represented by numerous painters and authors (paintings of
the "Escuela Cusqueña", pulpit of San
Blas, Custody of the Cathedral and the Iglesia de la Merced, etc.)
The cultural coalition Andean-Hispanic, has determined very special characteristics in its
architecture and population, city of incomparable beauty in the world, which conserves
with pride their customs and traditions, at the same time progressively is incorporated to
the modernity. To this is added the privileged geographical scenery, of beautiful
landscapes, in which has been developed.
Cusco is the most visited tourist destination in Peru, and the wealthy attractiveness
in the city and its areas around, as well as "Ciudad Perdida de los Incas" (Lost
City of the Incas), Machu Picchu, transforms it into one of the main tourist
attractiveness of the world, offering an excellent quality of tourist services.
Also called Cuzco and Qosqo
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