Cuzco, last Inca empire and now gringo capital of Peru, was our jumping pad to visit Machu Picchu. We spent a few days here before and after our trip to Machu Picchu. Aside from some great (gringo) restaurants, bars and cafes, Cuzco is rich with history.
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As the capital of Incan culture, Cuzco had numerous temples. When the Spanish defeated the Incas, they destroyed the temples and important sites of Cuzco and built their churches over the top of them in their effort to convert the people to Catholicism. So we decided to take one day and pay the hefty gringo entrance fees and explore some of the Catholic Churches and Incan Temples of Cuzco.
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The most important religious site for the Incas was Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun. This temple was re-discovered after the 1950 earthquake, when the Church that was built over top of it was partially destroyed and revealed significant remains of the Incan Temple.
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Qorikancha has some of the best examples of Incan architecture. The construction was built to glorify the gods and to accurately identify the equinox and solstices.
Click to continue reading “Visiting the Inca Empire – Cuzco, Peru”
