Walking Tour Continued

Much of Inca history was destroyed by the Spanish when they conquered Peru. Their pattern was to demolish Inca buildings and reuse the massive demolished stone blocks and bricks hewn by the Incas to build their own new structures. Often the Spanish built their new structures on Inca foundations or around sturdy edifices which they defaced by removing Inca symbols and replacing them with the religious Spanish icons of the conquerors.

However, the Spanish did preserve the main Inca street grids, plaza foundations and many ancient tall, strong city walls which speak proudly of the past glories and achievements of the Inca Empire and what we have today is a harmonious combination of massive Inca walls with Spanish colonial structure built around and even on top of the walls. Many of narrow flagstone lanes and streets of the old city, that we walked today, were bordered by Inca dry-stone masonry walls. Following the 1950 earthquake the Ministry for Culture of Cusco was formed to conserve and manage the redevelopment of the city. Their planning included restoring archaeological and historical monuments and to update an inventory "newly" revealed Inca ruins that opened up after the quake. Today the Municipality of Cusco is responsible for authorising any project development with a view to protecting, preserving, restoring and maintaining the unique heritage of Cusco.

Walking along the narrow cobbled walkways beside the ancient Inca Walls was like walking through an outdoor museum. We felt humbled by the ingeniously industrious builders of the past who perfected these walls by human strength and engineering skills that used methods not known by 21^st century engineers and builders of today. The Incas masons used such excellent masonry skills that huge stone blocks were cut and shaped with such precision that they could then be closely fitted together, like a geometric-shaped jig-saw, without the need for mortar. We saw an impressive example of Inca stone engineering in a narrow pedestrian alley which had high walls on either side. The stone is fitted so perfectly that not even a thin wire thread can be slit in between the stones. Half way down the alley called, Hatunrumiyoc or Stone Street is a 12-angled stone cut with precision 700 years ago by Inca masons to fit tightly into the wall without using mortar. This was indeed something to be admired from the past. These walls are amazing structures that have stood centuries and if they could talk what stories they could tell.