About Cusco

Cusco (pronounced /ˈkuːsko/ in English, often spelled Cuzco; in Quechua written Qusqu and pronounced [ˈqo̝s.qo]) is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cusco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which is triple the figure of 20 years ago. Located on the eastern end of the Knot of Cusco, its altitude is around 3,400 m (11,200 ft).

Cusco is the historic capital of the Inca Empire and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO. It is a major tourist destination and receives almost a million visitors a year. It is designated as the Historical Capital of Peru by the Constitution of Peru.

Inca history

Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire (13th century-1532). Many believe that the city was planned as an effigy in the shape of a puma, a sacred animal. Under the Inca, the city had two sectors: the urin and hanan. Each 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 that corresponded to the quarter of the empire in which he had territory. After the rule of Pachacuti, when an Inca died, his title went to one son and his property was given to a corporation controlled by his other relatives (the process was called split inheritance). 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. Archaeological evidence, however, points to a slower, more organic growth of the city beginning before Pachacuti. The city was constructed according to a definite plan, and two rivers were channeled around the city. Archaeologists such as Larry Coben have suggested the city plan was replicated at other sites throughout the empire.

Cusco after the Spanish invasion

The first Spaniards arrived in the city on 15 November 1533. Francisco Pizarro officially arrived in Cusco on 23 March 1534, renaming it the "Very noble and great city of Cuzco". The many buildings constructed after the Hispanic invasion have a mixture of Spanish influence with Inca indigenous architecture, including the Santa Clara and San Blas neighborhoods. The Spanish destroyed many Inca buildings, temples and palaces. They used the remaining walls as bases for the construction of a new city. Cusco stands on layers of cultures, with the old Tawantinsuyu built on Killke structures, and the Spanish having replaced indigenous temples with Catholic churches, and palaces with mansions for the invaders.

Cusco was the center for the Spanish colonization and spread of Christianity in the Andean world. It became very prosperous thanks to agriculture, cattle raising, and mining, as well as the trade with Spain. The Spanish colonists constructed many churches and convents, as well as a cathedral, university and Archbishopric. Just as the Inca built on top of Killke structures, Spanish buildings were based on the massive stone walls built by the Inca.

Honors

• In 1933, the Congress of Americanists met in La Plata, Argentina and declared the city as the Archeological Capital of the Americas.
• In 1978, the 7th Convention of Mayors of Great World Cities met in Milan, Italy and declared Cusco a Cultural Heritage of the World.
• In 1983, UNESCO, in Paris, France declared the city a World Heritage Site. The Peruvian government declared it the Tourism Capital of Peru and Cultural Heritage of the Nation.
• In 2007, the New7Wonders Foundation designated Machu Picchu one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, following a worldwide poll.

Cusco is located in the Central and Southeast area of Peru. The Department of Cusco has a geographic structure formed by a great hydrographic basin that has its source in the edges of the Plateau of Lake Titicaca and the snow-capped mountains of the Andes, the thawings of which form the Vilcanota river. This water current flowing from Southwest to Northwest to Quillabamba, where it takes de name of Urubamba, is in fact the central geographic nucleus of the Department of Cusco. Towards this great river whose canyon is one of the most beautiful sights in the world converge numerous tributaries, descending through valleys and ravines on the South through the right or northern margin, it receives the waters of bigger tributaries like Paucartambo and others. 

To the West of Cusco runs the great canyon of the Apurimac that marks the limits with the Department of the same name.
Cusco Orographically is crossed by two enormous chains of mountains that form the Vilcanota Knot. This mountain system is prolonged by the Vilcanota chain, refuge of the last rebellious Incas, that penetrates the jungle and constitutes one of the most unexplored and magnificent zones of Peru, separating the mountains from the amazonic tropics.
Limits of the Department of Cusco:
To the North: with the Junin and Ucayali jungles
To the West: with Ayacucho jungle and Apurimac mountains
To the South: with the high zone of the Departments of Arequipa and Puno 
To the East: with the great Amazonic plains of the Department of Madre de Dios.

Clima

Cusco is under the influence of big masses of air that come from the Southwest jungle, from the Plateau of Lake Titicaca and even from the far away region of the Patagonia. The South jungle winds imply immense masses of humid air, that are moved by East winds.
- The winds that arrive from the Peruvian and Bolivian Plateau are rather cold and dry, same as the ones that come from the Patagonia area, these winds come from the Southeast zone.
- Local winds which are generated in the valleys and in the flat areas of Cusco are responsible for distributing heat and humidity along the day.
- In general we can distinguish 2 seasons, the rainy season from November to March and the dry season from April to October.

Types of climate

Hot (humid and dry)

Humid: 
This type of weather is typical of the low jungle zone (north of low Urubamba region and east of Cusco) at the entrance of the Pilcopata and Araza valleys.
- Rain: More than 1.000 mm/year
- Temperature: 
- Maximum: 30 �
- Medium: Between 23� and 25�
- Minimum: Around 20�

Dry: 
Hot and dry weather we find in the low "yungas" area and in the Apurimac basin to the Center and Southwest of Cusco.
- Rain: Less than 500 mm/year
- Temperature: 
- Maximum: 32�
- Medium : between 17� and 18�
- Minimum: around 4�

Moderate (humid and dry)

The areas of moderate weather are of vital importance for settlements. The climate of the valleys across the Andes are typical of the central zone of Cusco, where the difference in humidity is marked by the location in the slope. This is, the close it is to the East the more humid it is, the closer to the West the dryer it gets.
Temperature: 
- Maximum: 29�
- Medium : between 11� and 16�
- Minimum: between 7� and - 4�

Cold (humid and dry)

This type of weather is common in the high zone of the valleys, around the glaciers and in areas over 3.800 meters above see level (over 11.000 feet).
Temperature: 
- Maximum: 10�
- Medium : varies according to the altitude
- Minimum: below 0½

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