Due to its position as the capital of the Inca dynasty, contemporary Cusco - a city 3,300 metres (10,500 feet) above sea level - is a showcase of several different cultures: pre-Inca, Inca, Colonial and Republican.
Cusco was more than just a capital city, it was an administrative, military and holy city, similar to Mecca, and is now the oldest inhabited city of the Americas. As a result, many splendid styles of architecture are found here, reflecting the
diversity of cultural influences on the city.
The surrounding countryside is also stunning, much of it sculpted by agricultural terraces, once watered by complex irrigation systems.
