n Cusco

Cusco (or Cuzco, is in southern Peru. It  is the capital of Cusco Department and is in the valley of the Huatanay River, 3,360 m (11,024 feet) above sea level. 

Cusco is Peru's most noted tourist destination and is the launching place to tour the remains of historic Machu Picchu. The downtown area is full of international tourists and has a European atmosphere. Many hotels, restaurants and shops circle the main plaza.

The principal industries of the city are tanning, brewing, sugar refining, chocolate production, and the manufacture of cotton goods. 

Cusco is the seat of a bishopric and the National University of San Antonio Abad (1962). The city contains many remains of Inca times, including the famous Inca temple of the sun; parts of the Inca wall that once surrounded the city; and numerous doorways, arches, and building walls. Many of the present-day houses, usually of adobe with red tile roofs, have remains of Inca stonework for their foundations. Among buildings dating from the Spanish occupation are the Renaissance cathedral, built at the beginning of the 17th century, and the prefecture, formerly the palace of the Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro. 

Although much of the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1950, the historic sites have been restored.

Population (1993): 257,751.

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