Cuzco had been the [G 11 / Inca] capital from the beginning of their history. It was Pachacuti Yupanqui who organized much of the planning and building of the city which partly remains today. He irrigated the city by diverting the Sapphi and Tullumayo rivers into channels which crossed the city. He also cut agricultural terraces into the hillsides surrounding Cuzco on which crops were grown to support the expanding population of the city.
Cuzco was built around a huge central plaza which was called the Aucaypata. This was central to the life of the inhabitants of Cuzco. Today some of this space is occupied by a much smaller central plaza, the Plaza de Armas. He was also responsible for the building of the Coricancha Temple and the Royal Palace. Some of the walls from this palace still remain on the west corner of the Plaza de Armas.
