City of Cuzco, UNESCO World Heritage Sites (with Map & Photos)

Cuzco is an amazing city located in the southern part of Peru, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Previously, this city was the capital of the Inca Empire, and now it is one of the most visited cities in Peru. It is from here that tourists begin their journey around the country.

City of Cuzco Unesco
City of Cuzco Unesco

Cuzco is the ancient capital of the Inca civilization, whose tales of missing gold are familiar to everyone. The uniqueness of the city, comparable in size and population to some Murmansk, is a mixture of Inca and Spanish cultures. This phenomenon, dubbed the term "mestizo", can be seen in the film "The Motorcycle Diaries" with Gael Garcia Bernal.

City of Cuzco Unesco
City of Cuzco Unesco

The contour of the old part of the city repeats the silhouette of a cougar, as if sneaking along the Andes at a three-kilometer height. In Quechua, Cuzco is the Navel of the Earth. Quite a logical name for the Incas, who never crossed the borders of their cozy and sunny civilization. And why, because according to legend, the city was founded by Manco Capac himself - the mythical first Inca, the offspring of the Sun and the Moon.

City of Cuzco Unesco
City of Cuzco Unesco

In the 16th century, the idyll was broken, or rather destroyed, by the Spanish conquerors. According to the "tradition", they completely destroyed the city and built their own version of the solar capital on its ruins. They did it with an understanding of the matter, thanks to which, in our days, Cuzco has acquired the status of a cult place, which is under the protection of all possible defenders of cultural heritage.

Cuzco Map