Source: WTL photo taken from a hill overlooking the center of modern (and ancient) Cuzco.
Comments: The ancient, pre-Incan ruins of Sacsayhuaman lie just over the hill behind the photographer. The name of the city is also spelled Cusco or Qusqu, in Quechua. It is the staging city for trips down the Urubamba River Valley (sacred valley of the Incas) to the famous Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. Currently, the city's population is about 300,000, and its elevation is 11,500 feet. The hills that surround the city are above 13,000 feet high. At its peak pre-Pizarro development during its Inca period, this city also reached a population of about 300,000. When the first Spaniards arrived in Cuzco in 1533, the Inca temples still were covered with gold plates on the walls and cornices. Pizarro sent three Spaniards ahead to reconnaiter the city, one of whom (Pedro Sánchez de la Hoz) was impressed (admiratio: see: => Latin American Terminology #6) with its beauty, with how well laid out the city was, how well its narrow streets were paved, and how vast it was in size. Furthermore, he noted that he saw no poor living there. He also saw the large fortress of Sacsayhuaman above the city, from whence this photo was taken.
Humanities items of note: The Catholic cathedral is seen center left. Note the dominance of Spanish red tile roofs. Cuzco is on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.