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  • UNESCO

The heart of the Incas

January 2, 2019 | Michael Turtle | 4 Comments

WORLD HERITAGE SITE

Cusco, Peru

Surrounded by an ambitious construction program of magnificent religious and administrative sites, with an unparalleled road network splitting off towards all corners of the empire, the city of Cusco was the heart of the great South American civilisation of the Incas.

It was the capital of a people who had taken control of an enormous swathe of the continent at such a rapid rate that their expansion seemed unstoppable. With gold as rewards and weapons as punishment, the leaders were gods and nothing could stand in their way.

Cusco was the heart of the Incas. Until one day, it suffered the most deadly of heart attacks – the arrival of Europeans.

Visiting the World Heritage Site of Cusco, Peru

Visiting the World Heritage Site of Cusco, Peru

Today, the Peruvian city of Cusco has become the base for exploration of the lost Incan culture. It is the first stop for almost every traveller to the region and is literally breathtaking.

At a height of 3,400 metres above sea level, the air is thin and it often takes people a day or two to adjust to the shallow breathing as lungs grasp for oxygen.

Visiting the World Heritage Site of Cusco, Peru

But for those coming to find Incan relics, it must be just a stepping stone. It represents less the history of the Incan civilisation but more the invasion and colonisation of these lands by the Spanish conquistadors.

It is both physically and culturally a symbol of Europeans supplanting an incredible indigenous culture with the ideology of the West.

Visiting the World Heritage Site of Cusco, Peru

Visiting the World Heritage Site of Cusco, Peru

“Look there, can you see it?” my local guide asks me as we stand on a hilltop around Cusco, looking down on the city.

“The old part of the city is in the shape of a puma!”

Visiting the World Heritage Site of Cusco, Peru

I squint a little and tilt my head to the side slightly. I can start to see it. Although urban sprawl makes it harder to distinguish, there is indeed a collection of older-style buildings that fill in the outline of a puma, a large cat worshipped in this part of Peru.

This is one of the remnants of the Incan time – but it’s just a shape of urban planning visible only from above.

Back down in the streets themselves, almost everything is European. The indigenous structure was preserved but, on top of it, the Spanish built their new churches, monasteries, manor houses and administrative buildings.

Visiting the World Heritage Site of Cusco, Peru

Visiting the World Heritage Site of Cusco, Peru

In the various plazas of Cusco, grand Baroque buildings lines the edges atop the old Incan foundations- testament to the complex history and a physical representation of the reality of colonisation.

Crowds of indigenous people in traditional garb sell wares that would be recognisable to the ancient Incans but they do so in buildings constructed by the rulers of the New World.

Visiting the World Heritage Site of Cusco, Peru

Visiting the World Heritage Site of Cusco, Peru

Visiting the World Heritage Site of Cusco, Peru

Earlier I described the takeover of Cusco by the Europeans as ‘a heart attack’. On reflection, that may be a bit simplistic. It’s probably more of ‘a heart transplant’. Because the city has thrived – just in a different way than its founders intended.

The Incan road system still leads, like arteries, to the untouched ruins of the great empire but now it’s pumping tourists and more Westernised Peruvians along its paths.

In restaurants in the centre of Cusco, menus still offer traditional food like quinoa and guinea pig but, amongst the offerings, are burgers and pizza.

Visiting the World Heritage Site of Cusco, Peru

There is an amalgam of Incan and colonial culture here in Cusco. On first sight, it appears the Spanish have paved over the pre-Columbian life but, like most paving, nature finds a way to grow through the cracks.

This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more info click here. You can see all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites I’ve visited here.
Peru Travel Guide

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT PERU?

See my Peru Travel Guide

To help you plan your trip to Peru:

  • The best things to do in Peru – a complete list!
  • What you need to know about visiting Machu Picchu
  • A wonderful alternative to the crowded Inca Trail trek
  • The story behind the Incan city of Cusco
  • Why Colca Canyon is one of Peru’s special natural sights
  • The incredible Nazca Lines and what they might mean
  • See this ancient mud city before it’s gone!
  • Hiking in the Andes from Huaraz
  • The site of the first civilisation in the Americas
  • An ancient tribe of sex and drugs
  • What to expect in the second-largest city of Arequipa

Let someone else do the work for you:

You may also want to consider taking a Peru tour, rather than organising everything on your own. It’s also a nice way to have company if you are travelling solo.

I am a ‘Wanderer’ with G Adventures and they have great tours in Peru.

You could consider:

  • The Inca Journey (10 days)
  • Absolute Peru (21 days)
  • National Geographic Journey (16 days)

When I travel internationally, I always get insurance. It’s not worth the risk, in case there’s a medical emergency or another serious incident. I recommend you use World Nomads for your trip.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. Renuka |

    October 2, 2014 at 4:48 pm

    Reply

    Wow! Quite a read that was. 🙂 Your photos are magnificent! I knew so little about Cusco. The European influence in its architecture is quite evident. But I guess, it’s for the good. It seems to be an inviting place with so much to marvel at.

  2. Mary @ Green Global Travel |

    October 6, 2014 at 8:44 am

    Reply

    Very interesting to see the mixing of the traditional culture with the European culture. It really is striking! I love how you say nature finds a way to grow through the cracks, so it’s definitely thriving there!

  3. Carmen |

    October 7, 2014 at 4:38 pm

    Reply

    Cusco was one of my favourite places in South America, if not THE favourite. There’s something magic about it. Sometimes it’s hard even to put into words… although I think you did a pretty good job 🙂

  4. Bea |

    October 17, 2014 at 11:40 pm

    Reply

    Great pictures! Cusco is a mixed of traditional culture and european as I can see in the pictures.. This article really inspires me to visit Cusco. I will put it in the bucket list.

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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