Cusco was the main capital of the ancient Inca Empire.
Cusco lies high in the Andes of southeastern Peru, at an elevation of about 3,400 metres. Under the Inca, it was the political, religious, and administrative heart of Tawantinsuyu, the empire that expanded across much of the western part of South America.
Inca tradition credited the ruler Manco Cápac with founding Cusco, although the city developed over a long period before the empire reached its greatest size. The city was organized in a shape often described as a puma, with important ceremonial and governmental areas at its centre.
After the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, colonial buildings were constructed over or beside Inca foundations. Lima then became the Spanish colonial capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru. Cusco is also the principal gateway to Machu Picchu, but Machu Picchu was a royal estate rather than the empire’s capital.