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GENERAL DATA
CUSCO
Cusco (often spelled Cuzco, less frequently Qosqo or 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 Cuzco, is around 3,500 m (11,500 feet). The historic capital of the sun-worshipping Inca empire, it has been found in 2006 to be the spot on Earth with the highest UV level.
Etymology
Stone of the twelve angles in the Street Hatum Rumiyoc In Wikisource is a Legend copy of Able Manco and Ocllo Breast. Topónimo of the city was quechua Qusqu, that means center, navel, belt. This because, according to mythology Inca, in her they down came together the world of (Uku Pacha) with the visible world (Kay Pacha) and the superior world (Hanan Pacha). In this way, the city was and is called the navel of the world, in reference to the universe.
To the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, its name happens to the Spanish like Cusco, as it appears in the maps of centuries XVI, XVII and XVIII. In some maps of century XIX (from 1814) and XX (until at least 1976) it appears the name of this city written like Cuzco. Today, in the Peruvian official cartography, it appears the original name in Castilian.
History
Cuzco was the capital of 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), Cuntisuyu (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 Cuzco, but only in the quarter of Cuzco 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, so each title holder had to build a new house and add new lands to the empire, in order to own any home and the land his family needed to maintain it after his death. Andean Indians still abandon their homes and build new ones when they marry, even if no one remains in the house.
According to Inca legend, the city was built by Sapa Inca Pachacuti, the man who transformed the Kingdom of Cuzco 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.
Weather
Si If it wishes to have a detail about the present time of today, can visit the following page: www.senamhi.gob.pe
Geography
Cusco expands by in the valley that forms the Huatanay river and by bordering hills. Its climate is generally dry and tempering. It has two defined stations: one of droughts between April and October, with sunny days, nights you cold and temperature average of 13° C; and another rainy one, of November to March, temperature average 12° C. In the sunny days the temperature reaches 20° C.
Religious center
The Cusco was the center of the state cult to the Sun, seat of the main temple of the solar religion, the Coricancha (in Castilian) or Qurikancha (quechua: gold enclosure), having the main Aqllawasi or house of the chosen ones of the sun, and the seats of the funeral clans of different dead emperors or Panakas, being in addition the place to habitual residence of the governing Inca, a living God, and of the high state clergy, represented by the Willka umu or extreme priest. The Cusco welcomed the great multitudinal ceremonies and imperial festividades, like the Inti Raymi or Fiesta of the Sun that continues taking place during the winter solstice - the New Year lot which is celebrated all the 24 of June in the Esplanade of Sacsayhuaman.
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