PERU | Wednesday, 23 January 2008 | Views [256]
This is the Plaza De Armas in Cusco. Cusco was the heart of the Incan Empire. It was from here the Incan dynasty spread and continued to gain strength and support from neighboring regions. In this picture the cathedral sits on the site of Inca Viracocha´s Palace and was erected with blocks from Saqsaywaman (a ruin outside of Cusco meaning satisfied falcon). In 1536 the Manco Incans used Saqsaywaman to fight the conquistadors. The Incans were defeated and thousands lay dead at this site. Soon after the war carrion-eating Andean condors came to the sight and feasted on the bodies. This tragedy was memorialized by the inclusion of eight condors in the Cuzco´s coat of arms. The Spainards used sacred Incan sites to erect their own houses and cathedrals in a deliberate attempt to destroy the Incan religion and culture.
