Page 59 - A History of the World in 25 Cities
P. 59
Cuzco is located at a height of 3,400 metres above sea level.
The Inca built 40,000 kilometres of road through rainforests, deserts, mountains, valleys and grasslands to the four corners of the Inca Empire.
The city was divided into two districts. The upper
part was the Hanan District and was the most prestigious
part of the city. The lower part was the
Hurin District.
This glittering temple to the sun god, Inti, had its walls (inside and out)
covered with over 700 sheets of gold. Sacrifices took place here.
This group of important sacred buildings included the Temple of the Sun. It was also used as an astronomical observatory to study and predict the movements of stars and planets.
Cuzco was built at the meeting point of three rivers, making it a sacred site to the Inca.
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