It is estimated that around 1.5 million tourists visit Cusco every year, and the city of Cusco have become the main tourist attractions in Peru and one of the most visited in South America. In 1983 UNESCO declared Cusco as a World Heritage Site. The highest concentration of tourists is during the dry month of June when the celebration of the takes place.
When you travel to Cusco you should be aware of . Cusco is located at an altitude of 10,800 feet or 3,300 meters above sea …

Machu Picchu was the most magnificent community the Incas built, its name means “Old Mountain” in Quechua.

Indeed, there must have been a good reason to justify the laborious construction of this magic city in such a challenging land. Since did not have a written language the real purpose for the building of Machu Picchu is not clear, it remains a mystery and is open to speculation. There are many theories but few among the most plausible. The most common conclusion from experts on Inca history and archeologists is that it was built first and foremost as a sacred center to worship natural resources, deities and …

The Temple of the Sun also known as the Torreon may have served as a primitive solar observatory. It was dedicated to their . Enclosed by a semicircular wall, the only one in , the room contains a stone altar and windows strategically placed to observe astronomical events. Two windows are aligned to the stone altar, which is located at the center of the room. According to how it catches the sun’s rays it signals the winter and summer solstices, the longest and shortest days of the year.
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Temple of the …

Understanding the Inca Civilization is not an easy task. Since they did not have a written language they did not leave a written record of their history which has been passed on orally from generation to generation in the form of myths and legends. The history of the Incas is endlessly fascinating. What we know from the Inca Civilization and how they lived is from discoveries made by archeologists. Inca artifacts, tools, textiles, pottery and art have help archeologist understand their culture and how it impacts modern Andean society in …

The name Cusco comes from the Aymara language qusqu wanka that means “rock of the owl”. According to one the , the myth of the Ayar brothers, Ayar Auca became an owl and flew to the location where they would settle to create the capital of the new empire, he converted into a rock to mark the chosen site.
Inca Manco Capac was the founder of the . The inner city of Cusco was laid out in the shape of a puma whose head was the fortress of Sacsahuaman. His body …

The Inca or the Sapa Inca was the emperor. There was only one Inca and no other person was called Inca but overtime this name became the term for the society in general. The Sapa Inca was polygamous and he usually married his sister who was his most important wife, she was known as the Coya. Polygamy was common among the royalty and upper classes and for those who could afford it. The Sapa Inca and the Coya lived in separate palaces which were decorated grandly.

Inca dynasty from the Peruvian …