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                        **     CUSCO    **
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  The city of Cusco, the great Inca Metropolis, America's archaeological
  capital city,  America's  Rome, Peru's  historical  capital, mankind's
  cultural patrimony is  located  one  hour  away from Lima, by plane in 
  flight that rapidly crosses the Andean Mountains.

  There is so much history kept  in  its  numberless  archeological  and 
  artisitc remains. 

  Cusco is necessarily included among the world's most attractive cities,
  and  this  causes  a  sense  of  great  national pride. It is a simply 
  subduable city. It seems as if time had stopped in its streets.

  Cusco  is  some  kind of Peruvian sanctuary that moves you to greet it 
  when looking at it in the distance, just the way our ancestors used to,
  long ago.


THE SOUL OF CUSCO

  There  is  something  in Cusco that moves you to feel respect,  wonder,
  pride  and  restrained  euphoria  that  could  suddenly  make you lose 
  your control. There is mystery halo in  the  air  and  you  lose  feel
  history's weight  every  where.  Every  single  stone  is  witness  of
  a grand past.

  The colonial walls were built on top the  well-carved  stones,  as  if 
  trying to objectively represent the union of two cultures.

  The numerous  existing  Inca  and  Pre-Inca archaeological  remains in
  Cusco  are  not  limited  to  the  city  itself. The  surroundings and 
  neighbouring provinces keep indubitably  important  remains. We  shall
  mention some of them.


MACHU PICCHU

  It  is  considered  to be oneof the world's most famous archaeological
  ruins and it belongs to mankind. It is just an  incredible  series  of 
  buildings, as it can't be explained how ancient Peruvians could  build
  a city of stone on the heights of a mountain, with a rough and  almost
  inaccessible topography. 


OLLANTAYTAMBO

  This is a military fortress that dominates the sacred  valley. It  was
  founded by the rebel General  Ollanta,  the  region's  "cacique",  who 
  raised in rebellion against Inca Pachacutec. It  is  part  of  a  very 
  large archaeological area on the skirts of the Vilcanota. It  consists
  of symmetrically stair-shaped terraces and steep staircases  that lead
  to the top with its  huge  monoliths  in  the  solar  temple. What  is
  amazing about this is  that  there  is not a single quarry in the area, 
  so it is supposed that the stone  material must have been carried from
  Cachiccata, which is a large distance away and on the  other  side  of
  the river.


SACSAYHUAMAN

  Nothing  caused  so much wonder among the chronists as the fortress of  
  Sacsayhuaman,  with  the  colassal  size, ofits stones, as well as its
  roughness  and strategical disposition. It  is  really  so  impressing
  that a belief was originated that it had been built by devils or  some
  other kind of beings rather than men. The first  Spaniards  smashed it 
  partially. But Cieza de Leon warns then: "It would be fair to preserve
  what has remained from this fortress and the fortress  of  Guarco,  to
  remember this land's greatness..."

  This  admirable  fortress, which is said it was built by Inca Yupanqui
  and is very near  to  the greatcity, is the most through expression of
  the Inca people's creative capacities.


PISAC

  This  is  a  series  of  buildings  crowned  with  a  citadel  and  an
  astronomical  fortified   tower,  especially   built  to  observe  the 
  movements of the sun. A small staircase and a porch lead to a circular 
  fortified tower, consisting  ofarge halls and perfect walls where  you
  can  distinguish  a  large  carved  rock  with  a  stone  column  that 
  determined the movement of the sun. It is  the  well-know  Intihuatana, 
  the place  where  "the  sun  is  tied  up". The  walls  are  perfectly 
  assembled together end there are perfect  sidewalks  with  wonderfully 
  built contention walls on the mountain skirts.


CORICANCHA. TEMPLE OF THE SUN

  It  was  the  most  important  sanctuary existing in the Tahuantinsuyo. 
  Gold  and  silver  covered  and garnished its walls completely, giving 
  origin to its name, and there was the great golden circular plate kept; 
  history  says that this plate was obtained by conqueror Leguizamo when
  the booty was shared, and he lost it casting dies one night.

  The church  of  Santo domingo was built on the top of this temple, and
  you may still  find  in  the  main altar's external part, the renowned 
  curved wall, wonderfully perfect,  as  well  as  the  inner inclosures 
  which show the wonderful use of stone and that were dedicated  to  the
  moon, the lightning, etc.

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