Cuzco from the hill above
The first Inca, Manco Capac was divinely directed to go to Cuzco
and settle there. That he did, and through successive generations of rulers,
this little tribe expanded until it ruled an empire that rivaled that of Rome.
Cuzco, which they called " The Navel of the World," remained their
capital.
Here's a strange bit of lore:
According to Indian legend, Cuzco was so barren that no crops could be grown
there. In what is now the center of the city, there was a lake and a bog. The
second Inca, Sinchi Roca, had the swamp drained and filled with stones and logs
until it was firm enough to support their stone buildings. He also had thousands
of loads of good earth brought in and spread over the land, making the valley
fertile. What could possibly have been the attraction of this barren, boggy
place? Suppose the magnificent lower walls of Sacsahuaman were there before
Manco Capac came to Cuzco. That in itself would be enough to make the place
holy.