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Cusco was once the capital of the Inca Empire and contains
incredible remains of ancient pre Inca and Inca civilizations. In
the 1500s, Spain colonized Peru and now mixtures of colonial
and Inca architecture make up a great part of the city. A great
example of this is Inca Garcilaso´s home (on the right), which
shows an Inca wall as a foundation for a characteristic colonial
home built on top.
When people think of Cusco, they usually think of the Inca
culture, but did you know that before the Incas there were other
civilizations that lived in the Andes?
The oldest establishments in the department of Cusco have
been found in the communities of Yauri and Chumbivilcas and
date back to the year 5,000 B.C. In the valley of the actual city
of Cusco, human presence dates back to 1,000 B.C. time
period in which small communities dedicated to agriculture and
animal herding lived in Marcavalle located on the east side of
the present-day city.
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Inca Garcilaso's home
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Before the Incas arrived in Cusco around 1,200 A.C. Cusco was
host to other civilizations, records show influences from the Chavin,
Huari, Killke, Lucre, Choquepuqio (or Qaranqayniyuj) cultures,
among others. On the left you can view the pre-Inca archeological
site of Pikillaqta (flea city or city of fleas) located on the
southwestern part of Cusco, which is the main structure
representing the Huari civilization.
According to the Inca tradition, there were two brothers called the
Ayar Brothers who constantly gained territory in the valley either by
force or through alliances to establish what is now the city of
Cusco, then called Acamama. The Incas were more advanced in
knowledge and skills than the earlier civilizations.
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For almost two centuries the Incas established themselves in the tall and central part of the valley of Cusco and
initially their territory grew slowly. Although, historians have recollected detailed information about the first Inca
governors; its hard to give credibility to these records. For that reason confirmed dates are considered only from
Inca Pachacutec´s reign.
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Its geography: Cusco is unique because as you can
see from the picture on the left, it is surrounded by
impressively big mountains. The city of Cusco is located
in the southeastern part of Peru in the Andes mountains
at an altitude of approximately 3,350 meters above sea
level (approximately 11,000 feet).
Its culture: Cusco’s homes roofed with picturesque
orange tile roofs and houses with balconies from
colonial times remain the norm in architecture as well as
Inca stones that serve as a foundation for colonial built
structures. This architecture is a representation of
Cusco’s culture. Regardless of time passed, the Inca
culture still serves as a foundation for the new acquired
Spanish culture which was instilled in the 1500s with the
Spanish conquest. Evidence of this is seen in all the
arts: paintings, music, dances. It is also evident in the
religion and rituals. Cusco is history in the present.
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Cusco City
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- Its History: Cusco probably has the richest history of all cities in South America. It was once called Tawantinsuyo and it
was the capital of the Inca Empire, which included parts of Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. In the 1500s, the
Spaniards used a variety of tactics to destroy the Inca Empire. Today, Cusco is mix of both Incan and colonial cultures.
This mix can be viewed in people’s believes, amongst others. For instance, it’s common for people to ask the Apus
(mountains) to protect them or to thank the Mama Pacha (mother earth) for its crops. At the same time, some of these
people attend the Catholic Church and acknowledge themselves as Christians. 3,200,000 (1993 census) people in Peru
still speak Quechua, the language of the Incas, and a majority of this population is in the region of Cusco. It is common to
go the marketplace or to small communities and find people who still speak the language of their ancestors as well as
Spanish. Cusco’s history is truly amazing and present everywhere. All the buildings with the Inca wall foundations and
colonial architecture will take one back in time.
- Its people: Being open and helpful is a characteristic of people from Cusco so it is very easy to interact with them. They
will try their hardest to help visitors feel at ease in their new environment. In general, people have bright and positive
attitudes. Cusquenians like to joke, laugh, dance, spend time with family and friends, take things easy and work hard.
- Its food: Peru is recognized as a country with one of the finest cuisines in the world. Its food entails a combination of
tastes from different parts of the world like Spain and even Japan and China. Peru grows some of the healthiest foods
that are not found in other parts of the world and many of these are found in the Andes Region (Cusco). Some of these
crops include quinua, maca, kiwicha, etc. Peru also has the largest variety of potatoes, which are mostly grown in the
Andes region (Cusco). Click here to read more on mouth watering Peruvian recipes!
Pre-Incan ruins: Pikillaqta
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