Machu Picchu ruins. Cusco - the ancient capital of the Incas

The history of the area dates back more than three thousand years ago, as evidenced by the numerous archaeological excavations that continue to this day. Researchers believe that the ease with which the valley provided its population with food allowed the Inca tribe to free some of the people from agriculture in the 11th century and begin to conquer nearby territories and create the Great Empire of Tauantisuya.

Cusco is located at an altitude of 3400 meters above sea level. Translated from the language of Quechua, which the Incas spoke, the name of the city is translated as "Navel of the Earth" or "Center of the Earth", since geographically Cusco was located in the very center of the state. Quechua is still not forgotten - it is taught by descendants of the Indians, the language develops and lives.

There are many interesting places in the district of Cusco and in the city itself: the ruins of the Inca citadels, mysterious ceremonial buildings, astronomical sites, unique garden-laboratories, salt marshes, and museums. But for each such landmark you can not buy a separate entrance ticket - you need to buy a tourist ticket to enter several places.

Modern Cusco has already managed to acquire all the necessary amenities of tourism: hotels for every taste and budget, restaurants of local (and any other) cuisine, currency exchange offices, a huge number of travel agencies, souvenir shops, etc. Everyone supports the Peruvian flavor: the local population is dressed in colorful ponchos, various kinds of hats are placed on their heads (there are about 200 varieties), women are worn behind their backs, and cute alpacas and llamas stroll along the pavement.

The Spaniards destroyed all the sacred buildings of the Incas, but the foundation was left and classical samples of Catholic churches and other structures were built on it. Earthquakes, which are not uncommon in Cuzco, have been disastrous for most Spanish buildings. All the ancient buildings of the Incas were made in the form of a trapezium and are located at an angle. This provides enhanced seismic resistance.

There are about 3800 types of potatoes in Peru and it really has an indescribable range of tastes and colors. But gastronomic delight in Peru is chicha morada, a soft drink made of black corn (there are about 300 kinds of corn here). The cuisines of almost all South American countries are a symbiosis of a large number of different culinary traditions. And Peru's cuisine is a rare exception, pleasantly surprising even the most sophisticated gourmets with recipes of their national dishes, which are based on Spanish traditions and culinary culture of the inhabitants of the Inca empire, who used the most diverse products for which the nature of South America is so generous.

The Incas are an ancient Indian civilization that conquered and built a large empire in South America on the territory of modern Peru and existed until the 16th century, before it was destroyed by Spanish conquistadors. The Inca Empire was distinguished by a high development of culture, science, and the social system. Many monuments and evidences of the Inca civilization, such as the roads of the Incas and the remains of ancient cities and structures, have survived to this day.

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