This is an aerial view of modern day Cuzco. In the center of the picture, the cathedral of Cuzco can be seen.
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy of Corel Photography
Cuzco
Cuzco is located in Southern Peru. It is the ancient capital of the Inca Empire. It is the oldest, continuously occupied city in the Americas. In ancient times, Cuzco was the ceremonial capital and hub of the Inca road network which made up of about 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles) of roads- that's over 10 times the distance from New York City to Los Angeles, California!
Ancient Incas practiced astronomy. Much of Incan life was linked to the movement of the stars, especially the Sun.
Ancient Cuzco was closely linked to the Sun. In fact, at the heart of the ancient city, there was a Temple of the Sun called Coricancha. It is thought that Coricancha was an observatory for solstices, equinoxes, eclipses and other important time markers. Religious rituals and daily life (such as in the planting of crops) were based on these time markers.
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