Cusco

Cusco
Cusco / Cuzco (Spanish) Qosqo (Quechua)
Top: Plaza de Armas, Middle left:Qurikancha,Middle right: Aerial view of Cusco, Bottom left:Saksaywaman,Bottom right: Cathedral of Cusco
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname: La Ciudad Imperial (The Imperial City)
Districts of Cuzco
Cusco Location within Peru
Coordinates:13°31′30″S71°58′20″W
Country	Peru
Region	Cusco
Province	Cusco
Founded	1100
Government
• Type	City
• Mayor	Luis Florez
Area
• Total	70,015 km2(27,033 sq mi)
Elevation	3,399 m (11,152 ft)
Population 2007
• Total	358,935
• Density	5.1/km2(13/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5(PET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5(PET)
Area code	84
Website	municusco.gob.pe

Cuscois a city in southeasternPeru,near theHuatanay Valley(Sacred Valley) in theAndesmountain range. It is thecapitalofCusco Region.The city has a population of about 300 000, triple the population it had just 20 years ago. Alternate spellings includeQusqu(in oldQuechua),Cusco,(after the Spanish arrived), andQosqocurrentQuechua.Cuscois the preferred way to spell it in Spanish.

Inca history

The Church of La Compañía on the Plaza de Armas in Cusco

Cusco was the capital ofTahuantinsuyu(orInca Empire). The city was planned to be shaped like apuma.The city had two areas: thehurinandhanan,which were further divided to each be part of two of the four provinces of the Inca Empire: Chinchasuyu (NW), Antisuyu (NE), Cuntisuyu (SW), and Collasuyu (SE).

Aroadled 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.

According to Incalegend,the city was built bySapa IncaPachacuti,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 beforePachacutieventhough he did initiate growth in the city after defeating the Chancas as a monument to Incan glory. There was however a cityplan,and two rivers were changed to flow around the city.

Post-Columbian Cusco

The firstSpanishsoldiers arrived in the city on November 15, 1533. Spanishconquistador,orconqueror,Francisco Pizarro,however, officially refounded Cusco on March 23, 1534, naming it the "Very noble and great city of Cusco". The many buildings constructed after theSpanish conquesthave Spanish influence with a mix ofIncaarchitecture.The Spanish made a new city on the foundations of the old Inca city, replacing Incan temples with churches and palaces for the Spanish. In thecolony,the city of Cusco was very rich, thanks to the agriculture,cattleraising, mining and trade withSpain.Many churches and convents were built, and even a Cathedral, and theUniversidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco.

Koricancha temple and Church of Santo Domingo

The majorearthquakethat hit Cusco in 1950 badly destroyed the Dominican Priory and Church of Santo Domingo, which were built on top of the impressiveKoricancha(Temple of the Sun). The city's Inca architecture, however, survived the earthquake. Many of the old Inca walls were thought to have been lost after the earthquake, but the granite walls of the Koricancha were exposed, as well as many walls throughout the city. While some wanted to restore the buildings to their colonial splendor, some of Cusco 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 Cusco.

Nearby sights

Other nearby Inca sites are: Pachacuti's presumed winter homeMachu Picchu,which can be reached by a lightly maintainedInca trail;the "fortress" atOllantaytambo;and the "fortress" ofSacsayhuamanwhich is approximately two kilometers from Cusco. Other less visited ruins includeInca Wasi,the highest of all Inca sites at 3,980 m (13,134 feet), andOld Vilcabambathe capital of the Inca after the Spanish took over Cusco.

The surrounding area, in theHuatanay Valley,is strong in agriculture. There iscorn,barley,quinoa,tea,andcoffeegrown.

Cusco's main stadium,Estadio Garcilaso de la Vega,attracted many tourists during South America's continental soccer championship, theCopa América 2004,which was held inPeru.

Other websites

• Cuzcoby Antonio Gutierrez from "Geometry Step by Step from the Land of the Incas"
• Cusco Province Municipal CouncilArchived2007-10-25 at theWayback Machine(in Spanish)(usesMacromedia Flash)
• Cusco Travel InformationArchived2006-02-21 at theWayback Machine
• Football Club of Cusco(in Spanish)
• Infocusco - news, info, photo gallery and forums(in Spanish)(usesMacromedia Flash)
• Cuzco NewsArchived2006-01-11 at theWayback Machine