From 100 facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu - Fact #9

By Catharine Hamm Los Angeles Times travel editor

9. Cuzco, sometimes spelled Cusco, means "navel" or "center" of the Earth. It certainly was the center of Inca civilization high in the Andes Mountains.
It was under Pachacutec and Tupac Yupanqui that the Incan Empire was shaped and Cusco was created into its great capital. The city of Cusco was reconstructed over a period of 20 years. A keen civic planner, Pachacutec vision for Cusco the changed the very way of life of the Inca people, he envisioned the capital of a great kingdom. Where the four corners would come together and Cusco would be in the center. Through his vision cities would be organized in a hierarchical manner. The urban center would unite administrative and religious functions. While outlying areas and satellite towns were situated in a cultivated zone were units of agricultural, artisanal, and industrial production.

When the Spanish came they built their city on top of the Incan city.  Much of the city's layout is still due to Pachacutec's design.  The plaza major in Cusco is was also the central plaza during the time of the Incas.

From 100 facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu - Fact #8

By Catharine Hamm Los Angeles Times travel editor

8. Legend has it that Manco Capac, the son of the sun god, and Mama Ocllo, daughter of the moon, established the seat of what would become an empire at Cuzco in the 11th or 12th century.

There are many versions of to the legend of the creation.  According to one legend, the first Inca was Manco Capac and he was created by the Viracocha who was the creator, and the sun god Inti. Manco emerged from his brothers and sisters from three caves in a hill called Tambo Tocco.

This spot was about 33 kilometers from Cuzco. The central cave was named Capac Tocco, and it was bordered by two other caves named Maris Tocco and Sutic Tocco. There were eight brothers and sisters who were the founders of the Inca dynasty and the men were called Ayar and the women were called Mama. Ayar Manco was chosen as the leader and was then called Manco Capac. His mission was to lead his brothers and sisters to a promised land to settle.

The golden staff he had would be used to find the promised land. The ideal land to settle in would be where the golden staff sank into the soil. After reaching many destinations, they finally took control of the people of Cuzco and settled there. From there on, a series of events occurred and all of his brothers were killed until just Manco was left with his sisters. He had a son named Sinchi Roca who was to be the next king. Therefore, Manco became the sole ancestor from which all Inca royalty traced their lineage.

From the 100 Facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu- Fact #5

By Catharine Hamm Los Angeles Times Travel Editor

5. The Incas, who created incredible architecture and political systems, had no known written system of language, although some scientists suggest khipu may also have served that function.

'According to the anonymous seventeenth-century author of the Quito Manuscript, ancient Andeans once possessed a writing system (qillqa) that they replaced with knotted strings (khipu) as part of the religious and sexual reform of their nation. The manuscript's redactor, Fernando de Montesinos, added to the text his own speculations about Andean writing, which he linked to the Tree of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden. For both of these authors, ideas about indigenous "writing" were not neutral, but were intertwined with arguments about the moral and cultural merits of Andean civilization. This essay explores how each author's claims about writing and knotted strings—qillqa and khipu—were intrinsic to their political and theological aims, fitting into a larger discourse about the justification of colonial rule. ^{' -} Sabine Hyland St Norbet College

Many of the Pre-Colombian cultures communicated in art and architechure.  At Chan Chan the Chimu Culture had a detailed calendar of ocean currents.  The calendar indicated which months the currents came from the south and which months from the north for fishing.  The Incas used both a solar and lunar calendar.  In Cusco, authorities maintained a seasonal clock that consisted of a 365 day solar calendar with 12 months each consisting of 30 days.  A twelve month lunar calendar was also kept that consisted of 41 eight day weeks for a total of a 328 day year.  The Incas celebrated the summer and winter solstice each year - the winter solstice celebration can still be witnessed at the festival of Inti Raymi celebrated June 24th each year.

From the 100 Facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu- Fact #4

By Catharine Hamm Los Angeles Times Travel Editor

4. The Inca used khipu (spelled "quipu" in Spanish), a series of knots that functioned as a sort of counting system.

 The Khipu was first used by the Huari people who flourished in the southern and central region of Peru from 500 - 1000 AD.  Many of the Huari practices were later adapted by the Incas and incorporated into their society including the use of the Khipu, terracing the mountain side for agricultural purposes as seen at in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu as well as the use labor as a tribute to the state.

Santo Domingo - Coricancha Cusco

Located in Cusco a short distance from the main plaza is one of the most interesting building in the city the Santo Domingo Cathedral or Coricancha the Inca Sun Palace. Originally named Inti Kancha this building was the most important temple in the Inca Empire and the most revered in the capital city of Cusco.

When the Spanish conquered the city the demolished the temple and used its foundation to construct the Santo Domingo Cathedral. Today the site is the best representation of Cusco history reflecting the city's importance both to the Incas and the Spanish in Colonial Days.