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Cusco History
Although it was settled centuries before the Incas arrived, it was only during the period of inca control (1438-1532 AD) that the Huatanay River basin, upon which Cuzco is built, reached its peak as an administrative, religious and military center. The origins of the city are shrouded in myth and legends which tell the tale of how the Inca empire came into being.
One of the most popular myths, from the chronicles kept by the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, is that of a mythical couple, Manco Cápac and mama Ocllo, who emerged from the waters of Lake Titicaca to found the city of Cuzco and teach its people how to cultivate the land. The city was divided into two sectors: an upper area, or Hanan, and a lower-lying area, references to both the geographical position of each area and the bierarchical position of their inhabitants. Moreover, it is also said that the outline of the first city bad the shape of a puma with a falcon's head. When the Spaniards arrived in 1533, many pre-Hispanic structures were destroyed or used as foundations for new structures, which included churches, convents and mansions built in Baroque or Renaissance styles. Since then, Cuzco become one of the most representative expressions of mestizo culture anywhere in the Americas.
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