| CUSCO
- PERU
Cuzco or Cusco (Quechua Qosqo, population
300,000), is a city in southeastern Peru in the Huatanay Valley of the Andes
mountain range. It is the capital of the department of Cusco.
Cuzco is a high altitude city (~3400 meters/11,024 feet above sea level) of
moderate size. Its name, in the Quechua language, means "navel"; it was the
capital and cultural center of the Tawantinsuyu - the Incan Empire. Legend
states that in the 11th or 12th century Manco Capac founded Cusco. The
granite walls of the Inca Palace are still standing, and monuments like the
Korikancha, or Sun Temple. Other great sites are the citadel of Machu Picchu,
and the fortress of Sacsayhuaman.
After the fall of the Empire in the 16th
century (1532) to the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, Spanish
colonists invaded the city. Many buildings after that are of Spanish
influence with a mix of Indian architecture, including the Santa Clara, and
San Blas. Often, Spanish buildings are juxtaposed atop the massive stone
walls built by the Inca.
Located in the Huatanay Valley there is strong agriculture, including corn,
barley, quinoa, tea and coffee, and gold mining.
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