Peru
Historic Sites & Landmarks in Peru
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Machu Picchu
Peru
1440
This well-preserved ancient ceremonial site high on a mountain ridge in Peru contains the ruins of a large Inca palace, temples and other buildings.
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Nazca Lines
Peru
200 BCE-600 CE
A high plateau in southern Peru is home to the remarkable Nazca Lines - giant earth drawings of a hummingbird, monkey, spider, lizard, and other shapes created between 200 BCE and 600 CE.
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Arequipa Cathedral
Arequipa, Peru
1656; 1868
Built in 1656 and reconstructed after an 1868 earthquake, Arequipa Cathedral is a fine example of Spanish colonial architecture and is especially notable for its immense size.
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Iglesia de San Francisco
Lima, Peru
1674
Built in 1674, this Franciscan church is considered the finest example of the "Lima Baroque" style of architecture.
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Cusco Cathedral
Cuzco, Peru
1550
This Baroque cathedral was built on the foundations of the palace of the Inca Wirachocha.
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La Compañía de Jesús
Cuzco, Peru
The elegant Church of the Society of Jesus rivals Cusco's cathedral in grandeur. Like the cathedral, it was also built on the site of an important ancient palace, that of the Inca Huayna Cpac.
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Saxahuaman
Cuzco, Peru
Located on the northern outskirts of Cusco, this huge walled complex was built by the Inca in the 15th century.
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Puka Pukara
Cuzco, Peru
This Incan site made of pink stone occupies a site with fine views over the Sacred Valley. Its original purpose is uncertain: it may have been a fortress, hunting lodge, storage site, or all of the above.
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Lima Cathedral
Lima, Peru
Designed by Pizarro himself, this immense baroque cathedral also contains the conqueror's tomb.
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Koricancha and Santo Domingo
Cuzco, Peru
The combined sacred sites of Koricancha and Santo Domingo vividly illustrate ancient Andean culture's collision with Western Europe. The extraordinarily crafted Temple of the Sun at Koricancha was the most sumptuous temple in the Inca Empire.