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The Inca Civilization

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The Inca was one of the biggest Amerindian civilizations, with proven construction skills, fine sense for art and an interesting language...

The heart of the Inca Empire was Peru - this is where the most important events happened and where most of the impressive Inca cities were built.

 

 

The History of the Tahuantinsuyo or Inca Empire

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It was one of the World's largest empires and the biggest one in the "Nuevo Mundo".

The Tahuantinsuyo, as the Incas called it was a flourishing empire in northwestern South America until the early 1500s, when the Spaniards have put an end to it.

Here we take a look at the Inca Empire's appearance, its most important moments and the cultures which inhabited it.

Read further: The Inca Empire (Tahuantinsuyo)

  

 

The Inca Rulers

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The Inca Rulers were considered demigods by their followers. The Inca population was deeply religious and had faith in their leaders, who were believed to have connection with the gods.

This article is taking you through the ruling dynasties and periods of the Inca Empire, presenting you the rulers of the Incas and also giving information about the structure of leadership and about the way Incas perceived their leaders.

Read further: Inca Rulers

 

 

Inca Religion

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The Incas were polytheists, meaning that they had multiple gods. They had a god for just about anything from fertility to earth... The two main gods were Viracocha (the superior god) and Inti (the Sun god). They venerated their gods with deep loyalty and have sometimes offered sacrificed to them, sometimes even human sacrifices.

Hopefully you will find valuable information about Inca religion in this article that we have put together.

Read further: Inca Religion

 

 

The Renowned Inca Andinas

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The Incas were ingenious... They made unusable land on the sides of mountains and hills usable for agriculture by building terraces on its sides. Many of these terraces, called Andinas are still in use today by local Quechuans.

The Sacred Valley is one of Peru's most agriculturally productive region, thanks to the wonderful skills of the Incas who built the terraces 500 years ago. And, these terraces even give great looks to the area...

Read further: The Inca Agricultural Terraces (Andinas)

 

 

The Inca Aqueducts, Irrigation Systems

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The waterways were carved into hard rock and used for helping irrigation on the agricultural lands, ensuring drinking water, but even water for ponds and baths.

The civil engineering of the Incas still stuns us. Many of these waterways are still functioning at: Tambomachay, Ollantaytambo, Tipón, Machu Picchu and other locations. They are true wonders of Inca construction!

Read further: The Inca Aqueducts, Irrigation Systems

 

 

The Spanish Colonization of the Inca Empire

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Conquistadors have arrived to Peru in the early 1500s. The main leader of these Spanish invading forces was the famous Francisco Pizarro. With a group of allies, among whom his brothers, Juan, Gonzalo and Hernando, he managed to conquer the mighty Inca Empire with ease.

This article takes a look at the Spanish conquest of the Inca lands...

Read further: The Spanish Conquest & Colonization

 

 

The Inca Trail, an Ancient Mountain Highway!

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Stretches in the southwestern part of South America, mostly in Peru and reaches a total length of 22.530 km (14,000 mi). An impressive ancient road system built by the Incas in the Andes Mountains. Often, these trails run at staggering heights and some of them are still in perfect condition, hikers love to try them out!

Learn about the Inca Trail in this article!

Read further: The Inca Trail

 

 

The El Dorado Myth

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For hundreds of years, conquistadores and scientific explorers, adventurers and treasure hunters have been searching for the land of tremendous amounts of gold and other treasures. The myth of the El Dorado has been extended beyond its original content and today it seems like it has lost its original significance.

Find out more about the El Dorado here: the origins of the myth, the misconceptions and how much of it is plausible...

Read further: The El Dorado Myth

 

 

Hidden Inca Treasures?

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When the Spaniards raided the Andean empire of the Incas, the locals had the strongest reasons to hide their treasures from the conquistadores.

Speculations, myths, words-of-mouth exist about hidden Inca gold, lost treasures hidden deep in jungles and in lost cities that are waiting to be found... How much of this can be real? Are there any hidden Inca treasures?

Read further: Inca Treasures

 

 

Where is Paititi, the Secret Inca City?

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The mythical city of Paititi is said to hold large amounts of gold, silver and gemstones.

So far, nobody has found the city, even though there were several claims, but none of the discoveries seemed sufficiently convincing.

In this article we are taking a deep look at concrete information about Paititi and its possible locations.

Read further: Paititi

 

 

Lost Inca Cities

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How many times have you heard "lost this", "lost that", "hidden this", "hidden that", but weren't they all lost at some point in time? Machu Picchu, Corihuayrachina, Choquequirao, Vitcos, Vilcabamba and Paititi are most often labeled "lost", "last" or "hidden". There is a lot of confusion around these cities and there doesn't seem to be any reliable resource clearing everything out. This is why we have constructed this article, hopefully you will like it! Enjoy!

Read further: Lost Inca Cities

    

 What is Inside Machu Picchu?

      

Machu Picchu AttractionsCheck out this thorough guide which will unveil the sectors, the buildings and the purpose for which they were built...

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 Machu Picchu's Construction

    

Machu Picchu's ConstructionThe Incas had excellent skills when they built this city 2.400 m above sea level from hard rocks without the use of mortar...

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 Machu Picchu Maps

    

Machu Picchu MapsAccess orientative maps and schemes, as well as scaled virtual interactive maps of Machu Picchu and the area...

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 The Discovery of Machu Picchu

    

Machu Picchu's DiscoveryThe story about how Machu Picchu was discovered and speculations about previous visitors to the ruins...

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 Hike on the Inca Trail!

     

Inca Trail Hiking, Adventure TripsTravelers who hike on the Inca Trail get to see archaeological sites and spectacular Andean views that others won't!

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 Cuzco & Nearby Destinations

     

Cuzco & Surrounding AttractionsCuzco, the former capital of the Inca Empire and the region around it has some wonderful attractions that you mustn't miss when visiting Peru...

Cuzco (Cusco)

Tambomachay

Sacsayhuamán

Q'enko

Puca Pucara

   

 The Sacred Valley of the Incas

     

The Sacred Valley of the IncasFantastic landscapes and Inca ruins characterize the Sacred Valley where the heart of the Inca Empire was...

Find out more about it!

Ollantaytambo

Moray

Písac

Chinchero

Yucay

Urubamba

Salinas

    

 Exciting Peruvian Destinations!

     

Recommended Destinations in PeruPlaces that you might want to visit when travelling to Peru. From Inca and pre-Inca ruins to boasting big cities and rural areas there is a lot to see!

Chachapoyas, Kuelap & Surroundings

Chiclayo & Surroundings

Cajamarca & Surroundings

Trujillo, Chan Chan & Surroundings

Lima & Surroundings

Peruvian Amazon

Arequipa & Surroundings

Colca Canyon

Ica, Pisco & Surroundings

Nazca Lines

Lake Titicaca & Surroundings

   

 Flights

     

Peru FlightsFor information about air travel possibilities to and from Peru and for flight ticket booking, please check this section...

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 Hotels

     

Peru, Cuzco, Machu Picchu Hotels

Presents recommended hotels near Machu Picchu and other parts of Peru. Helps you find a good place to stay...

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 Trains

     

Trains, Machu Picchu Train SchedulesMachu Picchu train schedules, railway travel possibilities are presented in deep details for your convenience...

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 Buses

     

Cuzco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu BusesBuses will take you where the planes and trains won't. Find out here about buses to Machu Picchu and the rest of Peru...

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 Tours/Trip Packages

     

Peru, Machu Picchu Tours/Trip PackagesRecommended tour operators and trip package-selling agents are listed here. Pick your trip package or tour with our help!...

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 Trip Planning

     

Trip Planning

If you are willing to travel to Machu Picchu, then you must plan everything from packing to getting there...

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 Place Finder Tool

     

Place Finder Tool

Looking for a place in Peru? Use this handy tool to find it on the map and even get its GPS coordinates!...

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  Live Weather & Climate Info

     

Live Weather Report & Climate InformationDetailed climate information and live weather report for multiple Peruvian locations...

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 Advertise on this Site!

     

Advertise with Featured Listings

Buy featured listings on relevant pages to target your clients efficiently and boost your business!

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 Photo Gallery

     

Photo GalleryFine quality photos of Machu Picchu and the rest of Peru. See the people and the beautiful places...

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 Video Gallery

     

Video GalleryCollection of carefully selected videos relevant to Peru, Machu Picchu, the Incas and related subjects.

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