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Published: February 9th 2021
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http://www.heygo.com 8th February - Cusco: The Inca Capital - Peru
The City of Cuzco (also Cusco) at 3,400 m above sea level, is located in a fertile alluvial valley fed by several rivers in the heart of the Central Peruvian Andes.
Cusco was the religious and administrative capital of the Inca Empire which flourished in ancient Peru between c. 1400 and 1534 CE. The Incas controlled territory from Quito to Santiago, making theirs the largest empire ever seen in the Americas and the largest in the world at that time.
Cusco, which had a population of up to 150,000 at its peak, was laid out in the form of a puma and was dominated by fine buildings and palaces.
Cusco is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
The city of Cusco is said to be in the shape of a puma. The puma symbolizes the power of the earth. The puma's head was the temple of Saqsaywaman. Two rivers outlined the body.
We learnt about the Twelve Angle Stone walls.
The significance of the 12 angles is not widely known, but it
is believed to represent the division of 24 families of Cusco: 12 during the Hurin dynasty and 12 during the Hanan dynasty.
The perfectionist Inca stonework is remarkable because the Inca’s laid the stones so precisely that the use of mortar to hold them together was not necessary, so perfectly the stones fit a piece of paper would not fit between them.
As a result, the constructions were very stable, it is said that they would simply “dance” and then resettle in the event of an earthquake.
We also learnt about the strange looking Ekeko
The ekeko, or god of abundance, is a good luck character.He can grant all desires just by asking them, he is overloaded with all kinds of miniature objects, money bills, appliances, cars, food, or, indeed, anything one might wish. The holder of the ekeko can add new desires whenever she or he needs to.
To be effective, the ekeko must be given and not bought. To get the ekeko to give them their requests, you place a lit cigarette in the mouth every time you are asked a desire and smokes it until it
is completely consumed. If the cigarette is only half consumed then it is bad omen. If the ekeko smokes it until the end then it suggests he will grant your desire. You can only make requests on Tuesdays and Fridays at noon or midnight. Every time you ask to have a desire met you give the ekeko a smoke. If the wish or request is accepted, the cigarette will smoke as if the ekeko smoked it.
Hilario Mendivil & Family Gallery: Hilario Mendivil is one of the most important representatives of craftsmanship from Cusco. His work, took place during the twentieth century, stands out for the religious images with elongated necks that resemble those of llamas and alpacas.
I loved all the wooden balconies, some quite plain some with very intricate carving.
The main square in Cusco Plaza de Armas with Its colonial architecture buildings serve as an example of the impact the Spanish conquerors made in the city, but The place existed long before the Conquest.
One of the most important episodes in the history of the Plaza de Armas of Cusco was the execution of Tupac
Amaru II. This character from Cusco, with both an indigenous and Peruvian-Spanish background, began a rebellion against everything related to Spain and Europe. Although it lasted only a few months in 1780/1781 it caused thousands of deaths.
In 1781, Tupac Amaru II was captured and was sent to Cusco. He was sentenced to execution along with his family and colleagues. After witnessing how their relatives and friends were murdered, the Spaniards tied Tupac Amaru II’s arms and legs to four horses to dismember him. However, story tells they were not able to kill him even in this manner. Thus, the Spaniards decided to cut off his head and expose it in Cusco as a trophy. They did the same with his other body parts, which they spread throughout different areas of Peru as a warning for those who were thinking of rebelling against the crown.
A bit of a grim story but all part of history.
The statue of the Inca shining on top of the fountain in Cuzco’s Plaza, while pointing towards the mountains–some say the fortress temple of Sacsayhuamán others say to the big White Cross.
A new
location for me, all be it virtually.
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