CUSCO

'Cusco' (also spelled in Spanish 'Cuzco', and in the native Quechua language as '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, located on the eastern end of the Knot of Cusco, is around 3,500 m (11,500 feet). The historic capital of the sun-worshiping Inca empire, it was found in 2006 to be the spot on Earth with the highest ultraviolet light level.^[1]

Contents

Name

Inca history

Incan Art

Post-Columbian Cusco

Ecclesiastical history

Sights

Food

Industry

Gallery

Sister cities

References

See also

External links

Name

Upon the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, the Quechua (Indian) name ("''Qusqu''") was transliterated into Castilian Spanish as "''Cu's'co''", which is how it appears on maps from the 17th and 18th centuries.^[2][3] On maps from the 19th century (as early as 1810^[4][5]) and through the mid 20th century (until at least 1976), the name appears as "Cu'z'co". Today, in official Peruvian cartography the name has returned to the original transliteration: Cusco, with an S rather than a Z. The Z version of the name is still used in some official circumstances, such as the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites ^[6], but the S version is official usage in English ^[7].

Inca history

Cusco was the capital of the 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), Qontisuyu (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 (a process called split inheritance), so each title holder had to build a new house and add new lands to the empire, in order to own the land his family needed to maintain after his death.
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.

Incan Art

Cusco also has a rich history of Incan art. Ceramic objects made and used in Cusco are known under the rubric of the Cusco Inca style. This pottery was considered a prestige ware and was closely associated with the fine craftsmanship and status of the capital. Cusco Inca pottery was handmade and often decorated with polychrome slips, particularly red and black.^[8] Two museums in Cusco exhibit artifacts of the pre-Columbian Andean civilization: Pre-Columbian Art Museum and Museo Inka.

Post-Columbian Cusco

The first Spaniards arrived in the city on November 15, 1533. Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, officially discovered Cusco on March 23, 1534, naming it the "Very noble and great city of Cusco". 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, Cusco 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.
A major earthquake 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, 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 Cusco citizens urged city officials to retain the exposed walls. Eventually they won out. Cusco was also hit by a major earthquake in 1650.

Ecclesiastical history

The diocese, suffragan of the Archdiocese of Lima, was erected by Pope Paul III on 5 September 1536, comprising the departments of Cusco and Apurimac, an area of 21, 677 m²., containing in the early 20th century a Catholic population of 480,000, with 106 parishes, 650 churches and chapels, 150 priests, a seminary and schools.

Sights

The original Inca city, said to have been founded in the eleventh century, was sacked by Pizarro in 1535. There are still remains, however, of the palace of the Incas, the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Virgins of the Sun. There are still Inca building remains and foundations, which have been in some cases been proved to be stronger than the foundations built in the present day Peru.Among the most noteworthy buildings of the city is the cathedral of Santo Domingo.
The major nearby Inca sites are Pachacuti's presumed winter home, Machu Picchu, which can be reached on foot by a Inca trail or by train; the "fortress" at Ollantaytambo and the "fortress" of Sacsayhuaman.
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 Cusco, 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 remodelling, 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 stadium is home to one of the country's most successful soccer clubs, Cienciano. Cusco's local team has made a name for itself in the world of club soccer, as it has won several international competitions in South America. However, it has yet to achieve such success in its home country. Nonetheless, it is still considered to be one of the best teams in Peru. The team is greatly supported throughout Cusco and a match to the people of cusco is quite important. In the streets the men that don't have a television will stand and watch it from a shop (with televsions) window. The tickets are very popular and involve big queues.
The city is served by Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport.

Food

Cusco is one of the andean cities of Peru where visitors may taste many spices, of different origins, and agricultural produce, mostly organic, treated and grown in environmental friendly and traditional ways, frequently using ancient techniques such as the "Chaquitajlla" (hands and foot soil remover). As headquarters to the Inca Empire, Cusco was always an important agricultural production region, and a natural reserve for thousands of Peruvian originary species, including hundreds of native potato varieties.
During recent years, driven by Peruvian and foreign citizens, Cusco has began to host many fusion and neo andean food places where traditional andean taste is found fusioned with modern techniques and ingredients, delivering a very innovative, exciting and trendy cuisine. ^[9]

Industry

★ Cusqueña brewery

Gallery

Sister cities

★ La Paz, Bolivia

★ Baguio, Philippines

★ Samarkand, Uzbekistan

★ Mexico City, Mexico

★ Kyoto, Japan

★ Kraków, Poland

★ New Jersey, United States

★ Chartres, France

★ Kesong, South Korea

★ Athens, Greece

★ Moscow, Russia

★ Santa Barbara, California, United States

★ La Habana, Cuba

★ Bethlehem, Palestinian National Authority

★ Jerusalem, Israel

★ Copán, Honduras

★ Xi'an, China

★ Potosí, Bolivia

★ Cuenca, Ecuador

★ Río de Janeiro, Brazil

★ Madison, Wisconsin, United States

References

See also

★ Inca road system

★ Machu Picchu

External links

★ PromPerú: Government Tourism Site

★ Cusco at Google Maps

★ Cusco GPS map