Cusco

This article is about the city. For other uses, see Cusco (disambiguation).

Cusco Cusco or Cuzco Qosqo or Qusqu (Quechua)
City
Plaza de Armas with Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús in the background Calle Suecia Qorikancha Cusco Cathedral Sacsayhuamán Historic Centre
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  La Ciudad Imperial (The Imperial City), El Ombligo del Mundo (The Navel of the World)
Anthem: Himno del Cusco Qosqo yupaychana taki (English: "Anthem of Cusco")
Interactive map of Cusco
Cusco Location within Peru Cusco Location within South America Cusco Location within Earth
Coordinates: 13°31′01″S 71°58′43″W
Country	Peru
Region	Cusco
Province	Cusco
Pre-Colonial Era	c. 1200 CE
Colonial Era	23 March 1534
Founded by	(c.1200) Manqu Qhapaq (1534) Francisco Pizarro
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Body	Municipality of Cusco
• Mayor	Víctor G. Boluarte Medina
Area
• Total	385.1 km2 (148.7 sq mi)
Elevation	3,399 m (11,152 ft)
Population  (2017)
• Total	428,450
• Rank	7th in Peru
• Density	1,113/km2 (2,882/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	cuzqueño/a, cusqueño/a
Demographics
• Ethnic groups	64.0% Native 63.0% Quechua 0.8% Aimara 0.1% Amazonian 0.1% Other indigenous groups 31.0% Mestizo (mixed White and Indigenous) 1.9% White 0.8% Other 2.3% No answer
GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)
• Year	2023
• Total	$4.2 billion
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (PET)
UBIGEO	08000
Area code	84
Website	Preview warning: No official website (P856) found in wikidata. Nothing will be displayed.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	City of Cusco
Location	south America
Criteria	Cultural: iii, iv
Reference	273
Inscription	1983 (7th Session)
Area	142.48 ha (352.1 acres)
Buffer zone	284.93 ha (704.1 acres)

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Cusco or Cuzco (/ˈkuːskoʊ/; Latin American Spanish: [ˈkusko]; Qusqu or Quechua: Qosqo, both pronounced in Cuzco Quechua as [ˈqosqɔ]) is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Sacred Valley of the Andes mountain range, and the Huatanay and Urubamba rivers. It is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Cusco Province and Cusco Department. It has historically been one of the largest cultural, economic and political centers of Peru.

The region was inhabited by the Killke culture in the 10th century, with the fortress Sacsayhuamán being constructed in the 11th century. The city was originally founded in the 12th century by Manco Cápac, as the capital of the Kingdom of Cusco and, later, of the Inca Empire. The region was conquered in the 16th century by the Spanish and reestablished on 23 March 1534, with most of the city being constructed over monuments left from the Inca Empire. In 1983, Cusco was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO with the title "City of Cusco". It has become a major tourist destination, hosting over 2 million visitors a year and providing passage to numerous Incan ruins, such as Machu Picchu, one of the seven modern wonders of the world. The Constitution of Peru (1993) designates the city as the Historical Capital of Peru.

Cusco is the seventh-most populous city in Peru; in 2017, it had a population of 428,450. It is also the largest city in the Peruvian Andes and the region is the seventh-most populous metropolitan area of Peru. Its elevation is around 3,400 m (11,200 ft). The largest district in the city is the Cusco District, which had a population of 114,630 in 2017, making up about one quarter of the city's total population.