Cusco: Peru’s Historic Inca Capital

Cusco, the historic capital of the Inca Empire, is a city where ancient heritage and living culture converge.

Visitors can explore remarkable traces of Inca civilisation, from precisely fitted stone walls and sacred temples to narrow, timeworn streets.

After the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, colonial churches and buildings were constructed atop Inca foundations, creating the distinctive cultural blend that defines Cusco today.

As you walk its cobbled streets and climb into the surrounding hills, it is difficult not to reflect on the loss of such a powerful and sophisticated civilisation.

• Role: Cusco was the heart of the Inca Empire, which once extended from present-day Colombia and Ecuador to Chile and Argentina.
• Design: The city was traditionally laid out in the shape of a puma, with the central square, Huacaypata, forming the belly and the Sacsayhuamán fortress representing the head.
• Name: Its name is derived from a Quechua word meaning “navel” or “centre”.
• Conquest: Cusco was occupied and sacked by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1533.
• Present Status: Cusco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is recognised by the Peruvian Constitution as the Historical Capital of Peru.