Culture of Peru

     Peru is a small country on the west side of South America and one of natural borders of Peru is Pacific Ocean. It also borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile. Nowadays there are around 30 millions of people. Most of them speak mainly spanish, because of strong culture shaped by spanish colonial power, while most of the highlanders speak quechua, the language of the Inca. In peruvian population there are still a lot of Indians, who are mostly living in the mountains. One of the most important peruvian traditions is their music and dance. Traditional Andean music is present almost everywhere, from bars and restaurants to fiestas. It's a catholic country, what is easy to see looking at the holidays they are celebrating. These holidays are often mixed with local Indian beliefs. Carnival is something, that every tourist which comes to Peru wants to see, cause of it's one of the most celebrated holiday.  During this event you can experience peruvian parties and large, unique parades. After the rich Inca culture, there are still ruins of cities and buildings scattered across the Andes. The most famous remains of the old Inca buildings are Machu Picchu and Cuzco, entered on the UNESCO Cultural Heritage list.

    Machu Picchu is a city that was built in the 15th century during the reign of one of the most outstanding rulers of Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui. At that time, it served as the main ceremonial center, as well as economic and defense center. They were inhabited by priests, representatives of the Inca aristocracy, soldiers and guardians of local temples. The city consisted of two parts. In the upper one, called hanman, there were: the temple of the sun, the royal tomb, the royal palace and Intihuatana, the greatest Inca holiness. In the lower one, there were thatched houses and production workshops.

    Cuzco is a city located in the southern part of Peru at an altitude of 3,326 meters above sea level. The city was founded by the first Inca ruler Manco Capaca in the 12th century. In 1533 captured by the troops of Francisco Pizarro. During the Manco Inka uprising in 1536, the city was burnt down. The Spaniards built their city in the same place. Haunted several times by strong earthquakes. During the Inca Empire, Cuzco was the capital of the country. The name Cuzco in Quechua means the navel of the world, or - according to another version - comes from the aimara phrase "qusqu wanka", "owl's rock" or "the rock on which the owl sat down". Remains of buildings have been preserved from the Inca times.