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Cusco

Cusco
Cuzco (Spanish)
Qusqu / Qosqo (Quechua)
Top: Plaza de Armas, Middle left: Qurikancha, Middle right: Aerial view of Cusco, Bottom left: Saksaywaman, Bottom right: Cathedral of Cusco
Top: Plaza de Armas, Middle left: Qurikancha, Middle right: Aerial view of Cusco, Bottom left: Saksaywaman, Bottom right: Cathedral of Cusco
Flag of Cusco
Flag
Nickname(s): La Ciudad Imperial (The Imperial City)
Districts of Cusco
Districts of Cusco
Cusco is located in Peru
Cusco
Cusco
Location within Peru
Coordinates: 13°31′30″S 71°58′20″W / 13.52500°S 71.97222°W / -13.52500; -71.97222Coordinates: 13°31′30″S 71°58′20″W / 13.52500°S 71.97222°W / -13.52500; -71.97222
Country  Peru
Region Cusco
Province Cusco
Founded 1100
Government
 • Type City
 • Mayor Luis Flórez
Area
 • Total 385.1 km2 (148.7 sq mi)
Elevation 3,399 m (11,152 ft)
Population 2013
 • Total 435,114
 • Estimate (2015) 427,218
 • Density 1,100/km2 (2,900/sq mi)
Demonym(s) cuzqueño/a
Time zone PET (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) PET (UTC-5)
Area code(s) 84
Website www.municusco.gob.pe
Official name City of Cuzco
Type Cultural
Criteria iii, iv
Designated 1983 (7th session)
Reference no. 273
State Party  Peru
Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Cusco (/ˈkzk/), often spelled Cuzco (Spanish: Cuzco, [ˈkusko]; Quechua: Qusqu or Qosqo, IPA: [ˈqɔsqɔ]), 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. In 2013, the city had a population of 435,114. Located on the eastern end of the Knot of Cuzco, its elevation is around 3,400 m (11,200 ft).

The site was the historic capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th until the 16th-century Spanish conquest. In 1983 Cusco was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It has become a major tourist destination, hosting nearly 2 million visitors a year. The Constitution of Peru designates it as the Historical Capital of Peru.

The indigenous name of this city is Qusqu. Although the name was used in Quechua, its origin is found in the Aymara language. The word is derived from the phrase qusqu wanka ('Rock of the owl'), related to the city's foundation myth of the Ayar Siblings. According to this legend, Ayar Awqa (Ayar Auca) acquired wings and flew to the site of the future city; there he was transformed into a rock to mark the possession of the land by his ayllu ("lineage").


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