Cusco
Cusco (also
Cuzco,
Qosqo, or
Qusqu) is a city in southeastern
Peru, near the
Urubamba Valley (Sacred Valley) of the
Andes mountain range. It is the
capital of the
Cusco Region as well as the Cusco Province. The city has a population of about 300,000, triple the population it contained just 20 years ago. The altitude of the city is around 3,500m (11,500 feet). The historic capital of the
sun-worshipping
Inca empire, it has been found in
2006 to be the spot on Earth with the highest
UV level.
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The Church of La Compañia on the Plaza de Armas in Cusco |
Cusco was the capital of
Inca Empire. Many believe that the city was planned to be shaped like a
puma. The city had two sectors: the
urin and
hanan, which were further divided to each encompass two of the four provinces,
Chinchasuyu (NW),
Antisuyu (NE),
Cuntisuyu (SW), and
Collasuyu (SE). A road led from each of these quarters to the corresponding quarter of the empire. Each local leader was required to build a house in the city and live part of the year in Cusco, but only in the quarter of Cusco that corresponded to the quarter of the empire he had territory in. After
Pachacuti, when an
Inca died his title went to one son and his property was given to a corporation controlled by his other relatives, so each title holder had to build a new house and add new lands to the empire, in order to own any home and the land his family needed to maintain it after his death. Andean Indians still abandon their homes and build new ones when they marry, even if no one remains in the house.
According to Inca legend, the city was built by
Sapa Inca Pachacuti, the man who transformed the Kingdom of Cusco from a sleepy city-state into the vast empire of Tahuantinsuyu. But archaeological evidence points to a slower, more organic growth of the city beginning before Pachacuti. There was however a city plan, and two rivers were channeled around the city.
The first
Spaniards arrived in the city on
November 15th,
1533. Spanish
conquistador Francisco Pizarro, officially discovered Cuzco on
March 23rd,
1534, naming it the "Very noble and great city of Cuzco". The many buildings constructed after the
Spanish conquest are of Spanish influence with a mix of Inca architecture, including the Santa Clara and San Blas barrios. The Spanish undertook the construction of a new city on the foundations of the old Inca city, replacing temples with churches and palaces with mansions for the conquerors. During the colony, the city of Cuzco was very prosperous thanks to the agriculture, cattle raising, mining as well as the trade with
Spain. This allowed the construction of many churches and convents, and even a Cathedral,
University and an Archbishopric. Often, Spanish buildings were juxtaposed atop the massive stone walls built by the Inca.
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Coricancha temple and Church of Santo Domingo |
The major earthquake that hit Cuzco in
1950 badly destroyed the Dominican Priory and Church of Santo Domingo, which were built on top of the impressive
Coricancha (Temple of the Sun). The city's Inca architecture, however, firmly withstood the earthquake. Many of the old Inca walls were thought to have been lost after the earthquake, but the granite walls of the Coricancha were exposed, as well as many walls throughout the city. While some wanted to restore the buildings to their colonial splendor, a contingent of Cuzco citizens urged city officials to retain the exposed walls. Eventually they won out and now tourists from around the world enjoy looking at these ruins within the living city. The 1950 earthquake was the second time that the Dominican Priory had been destroyed, the first being in
1650 when another major earthquake struck Cuzco.
|
Plaza De Armas (main square). The Cathedral lies on the left and the "Compañia de Jesus" on the right. |
Upon the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, the Quechua name was transliterated into Castillian Spanish as "Cusco," which is how it appears on maps from the 16th through the 18th centuries. On maps from the 19th century (as early as 1814) and until the 20th century (until at least 1976), the name appears as "Cuzco." Today, in official Peruvian cartography the name has returned to the original Castillian Spanish transliteration; Cusco, with an S not a Z; however the Z version of the name is used commonly throughout the Hispanophone world and in other languages as well (e.g. English).
Other nearby Inca sites are Pachacuti's presumed winter home
Machu Picchu which can be reached by a lightly maintained
Inca trail, or the train, the "fortress" at
Ollantaytambo, and the "fortress" of
Sacsayhuaman which is approximately two kilometers from Cusco. Other less visited ruins include
Inca Wasi, the highest of all Inca sites at 3,980 m (13,134 feet),
Old Vilcabamba the capital of the Inca after the capture of Cuzco, the
sculpture garden at
Chulquipalta (aka
Chuquipalta,
Ñusta España,
The White Rock,
Yurak Rumi), as well as
Huillca Raccay,
Patallacta,
Choquequirao,
Moray, and many others.
The surrounding area, located in the Huatanay Valley, is strong in agriculture, including
corn,
barley,
quinoa,
tea and
coffee, and
gold mining.
Thanks to remodeling, Cusco's main stadium,
Estadio Garcilaso de la Vega, attracted many more tourists during South America's continental soccer championship, the
Copa América 2004 held in
Peru.
The city is served by
Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport.
*
Visit Cusco Peru, The Best Options*
History of incas*
Cusco Province Municipal Council*
Inca trails to Machu Picchu *
Football Club of Cusco*
Tour Inca trail to Machu Picchu *
Infocusco - news, info, photo gallery and forums*
Cuzco News*
All Cusco - Cuzco Magazine, maps, photo gallery and Travel Agency*
Cusco Information travel*
Inca Trail, Tour Agency, Manu, Travel AgencyCusco Cuzco*
Inca trail to Machu Picchu
