PLACES IN CUZCO
La Forteleza de Sacsayhuaman
The impressive fortress of Sacsayhuaman formed the head of the puma shaped city of Cuzco. The three walls, constructed in the form of a zigzag, were possibly meant to be the puma's teeth.
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CuzcoTwo miles up. This old Incan Capital is nestled a valley high up in the Andes mountains. Over 300,000 people live here. Cuzco, means belly button in the native quechua, was considered the center of the Incan Empire. Also, Cuzco is the oldest continuously inhabited city of South America. Tourism, agriculture and the sale of arts and crafts comprise the areas main industries.
The old buildings of Cuzco tell the history of the city. All around the main plaza are examples of Incan and Colonial architecture mixed together. As you can see in the picture above the foundation is from Incan origin while the white stucco and wood trimmed structure is from the Spanish Colonial era. The centuries old Incan foundations was so precisely cut and placed that there is no room for even a piece of paper the fit in between the stones.
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CELEBRATIONS
El Festival De Corpus Christi
The Festival of Corpus Christi lasts a week in June and culminates into a gran procession. This is a celebration that incorporates both Christian and Incan traditions. This is one of the most important celebrations for the people of Cuzco.
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El Festival De Inti Raymi
Inti Raymi, or the Festival Of The Sun, occurs on June 24. It celebrates the new year of the Incas. It used to be one of the most important festivals for the Incan Empire.
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FOOD AND LAND
Terraces
Being that Perú is located two miles up in the Andes mountains it has large steep sloping mountain sides. Because of this the indigenous farmers had a problem. Where do you farm? The solution was to build terraces out of stone in order to create much needed farming area for the mountain sides. There, they can grow a variety of crops using the fertile topsoil that is protected from erosion.
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El Maíz
Corn in its primitive form was first cultivated in Perú around 7,000 years ago.
Can you think of other Spanish speaking countries that use corn in their diet? name some. What types of dishes do they use corn in? What types of foods do we use corn with in the United States? Name a few. |
Las Papas
Many typical dishes from Cuzco are prepared with potatoes. There are 100's of different varieties of potatoes in Perú.
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LA LANA
The WOOL of the vicuña, llama & alpaca is the source of many of the COLORFUL fabrics & clothing that are found in the markets of Cuzco.
Think of common items that are made of wool. Do you have any of these things at your home? What is wool good for?
Think of common items that are made of wool. Do you have any of these things at your home? What is wool good for?