Sacsayhuamán 1
This ruin stands on a hill high above Cusco. The site served as both a fortress and a place of religious observance. This was also the site of a great rebellion against the Spanish led by Manco Inca. (By the way, Inca means king.) Manco very nearly defeated the Spanish but was finally routed by a final desperate charge of Spanish cavalry. Manco fled to the fortress of Ollantaytambo. Meanwhile, the Spanish pulled down a great many stones of Sacsayhuamán and used them to build their own buildings below in Cusco.
Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1... ... read more 
