`skō), city (1993 pop. 97,466), alt. 11,207 ft (3,416 m), capital of Cuzco dept., S Peru, at the confluence of the Huatanay and Tullamayo rivers. Its population is predominantly native. It is a transportation hub and a trading center for agricultural produce and for woolen textiles produced in the Cuzco mills. It also has a large tourist industry, based on its proximity to many ancient Inca sites. According to legend, Cuzco was founded by Manco Capac Manco Capac (mäng`kō käpäk`), legendary founder of the Inca dynasty of Peru...... Click the link for more information. , first of the Inca rulers. The city had massive palaces and temples (most notably the Temple of the Sun, now the site of a Dominican convent), which were lavishly decorated with gold medallions and ornaments. When Francisco Pizarro Pizarro, Francisco (pĭzä`rō, Span. fränthēs`kō pēthär`rō), c.
..... Click the link for more information. entered the city in 1533, it was plundered; and on its ruins the conquerors and their descendants built the colonial city, using the ancient walls (many of which are still visible) as foundations for new buildings. The cathedral and church of La Merced is the most notable of Cuzco's many churches. A severe earthquake in 1950 destroyed much of the city, but most of the historic buildings have been restored. The National Univ. of Cuzco is in the city; nearby are the ruins of the Inca fortress Sacsahuamán Sacsahuamán (säksäwämän`), stronghold of the Incas outside Cuzco, Peru. Built in the 15th cent.
..... Click the link for more information. .
Cuzco
City (pop., 2002 est.: 301,342), south-central Peru. It is located high in the Andes Mountains at an elevation of about 11,150 ft (3,400 m). One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Western Hemisphere, it was founded in the 11th or 12th century and was once the capital of the vast Inca empire. Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro captured the city in 1533. It suffered major earthquake damage in 1650 and again in 1950, though many sites have since been restored. Nearby ruins include Sacsahuamán, an ancient Inca fortress, and Machu Picchu, an Inca resort. Cuzco's cathedral (1654) incorporates the foundation and several walls of the Temple of the Sun. Many of the city's other buildings, including the university (1692), also date from the colonial era. The city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.
Cuzco, Cusco
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