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Cusco, is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cusco Province. The city had in 2007 a population of 358,935 which is triple the figure of 20 years ago. Located on the eastern end of the Knot of Cusco, its altitude is around 3,400 m (11,200 ft).

Cusco is the historic capital of the Inca Empire and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO. It is a major tourist destination and receives almost a million visitors a year. It is designated as the Historical Capital of Peru by the Constitution of Peru.

For its age and importance, the center of Cusco City (Cuzco) keeps many buildings, plazas and streets of pre-Columbian times as well as colonial buildings, which led it to become a World Heritage site by Unesco in 1983. Among the main sights of the city: San Blas Neighborhood, San Pedro Market, Cusco's Cathedral, Koricancha Temple, Sacsayhuaman, Q'enqo, Square, Temple and Convent of La Merced.
The main economic activity of its inhabitants is the reception of tourism, which now exceeds one million visitors annually.
It is the only city in Peru that has and maintains full employment. But without neglecting the important contribution of agriculture to the city, especially corn and potatoes.The population of the city was largely mestizo and indigenous, but now the white population has grown significantly in the city reached 30%. The city is experiencing a process of population explosion driven by the boom of tourism.
The city has a population of 319.422 inhabitants per year according to the 2002 INEI (National Institute of Statistics and Informatics)
Cusco was named a World Heritage Site by Unesco in Paris, France on December 9, 1983

Cusco after the Spanish invasion

The first Spaniards arrived in the city on November 15, 1533. Francisco Pizarro officially arrived in Cusco on March 23, 1534, renaming it the "Very noble and great city of Cuzco". The many buildings constructed after the Hispanic invasion have a mixture of Spanish influence with Inca indigenous architecture, including the Santa Clara and San Blas neighborhoods. The Spanish destroyed many Inca buildings, temples and palaces. They used the remaining walls as bases for the construction of a new city. Cusco stands on layers of cultures, with the old Tawantinsuyu built on Killke structures, and the Spanish having replaced indigenous temples with Catholic churches, and palaces with mansions for the invaders.

Cusco was the center for the Spanish colonization and spread of Christianity in the Andean world. It became very prosperous thanks to agriculture, cattle raising, and mining, as well as the trade with Spain. The Spanish colonists constructed many churches and convents, as well as a cathedral, university and Archbishopric. Just as the Inca built on top of Killke structures, Spanish buildings were based on the massive stone walls built by the Inca.

A major earthquake on 21 May 1950 caused severe localised damage in Cusco. The Dominican Priory and Church of Santo Domingo, which were built on top of the impressive Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), were among the colonial era buildings affected. The city's Inca architecture, however, withstood the earthquake. Many of the old Inca walls were at first thought to have been lost after the earthquake, but the granite retaining walls of the Qoricancha were exposed, as well as those of other ancient structures throughout the city. Restoration work at the Santo Domingo complex was conducted in such a way as to expose the Inca masonry formerly obscured by the super-structure without compromising the integrity of the colonial heritage. Cusco had also been the center of a major earthquake in 1650, and many of the buildings damaged in 1950 had been impacted by an earthquake only nine years previously.

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CUSCO PACKAGES AND TOURS
Cusco City Tour	Sacred Valley of the Incas	Cusco MachuPicchu
Cusco Inca Trail	Cusco Choquequirao Trek	Cusco Ausangate Trek
Cusco Salkantay Trek	Cusco Lares Valley Trek	Cusco Vilcabamba Trek
Cusco Rafting 1/2 days	Cusco Apurimac Rafting	Cusco Kayak Courses