considered one of the best examples of colonial baroque style in the Americas. Its façade is carved in stone and its main altar is made of carved wood covered with gold leaf. It was built over an underground chapel and has a valuable collection of colonial paintings of the Cusco School. Qurikancha and Convent of Santo Domingo The Qurikancha ("golden place") was the most important sanctuary dedicated to the Sun God (Inti) at the time of the Inca Empire. According to ancient chronicles written by Garcilaso de la Vega (chronicler), Qurikancha was said to have featured a large solid golden disc that was studded with precious stones and represented the Inca Sun God – Inti. Spanish chroniclers describe the Sacred Garden in front of the temple as a garden of golden plants with leaves of beaten gold, stems of silver, solid gold corn-cobs and 20 life-size llamas and their herders all in solid gold. The temple was destroyed by its Spanish invaders who, as they plundered, were determined to rid the city of its wealth, idolaters and shrines. Nowadays, only a curved outer wall and partial ruins of the inner temple remain at the site. With this structure as a foundation, colonists built the Convent of Santo Domingo in the Renaissance style. The building, with one baroque tower, exceeds the height of many other buildings in this city. Inside is a large collection of paintings from the Cuzco School. Museums Cusco has the following important museums: Museo de Arte Precolombino Casa Concha Museum (Machu Picchu Museum) Museo Inka Museo Histórico Regional de Cuzco Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cuzco or Center of the Traditional Textiles of Cusco in English Museum of Sacred, Magical and Medicinal Plants (Museo de plantas sagradas, mágicas y medicinales) ChocoMuseo (The Cacao and Chocolate Museum) There are also some museums located at churches. Population The city had a population of about 434,114 people in 2013 and 434,654 people in 2015 according to INEI. Cuisine As capital to the Inca Empire, Cusco was an important agricultural region. It was a natural reserve for thousands of native Peruvian species, including around 3,000 varieties of potato cultivated by the people. Fusion and neo-Andean restaurants developed in Cusco, in which the cuisine is prepared with modern techniques and incorporates a blend of traditional Andean and international ingredients. Twin towns – sister cities Cusco is twinned with: Bethlehem, Palestine Baguio, Philippines