Well, the word is in. The decision has come down. The Inca walls and stairs revealed on Mantas street will be covered up.
Ricardo Ruiz Caro, Director of the Ministerio de Cultura Cusco (the Ministry of Culture, Cuzco) justified the decision in terms of agreements and regulations on the handling of cultural artifacts. He indicated that because only a small portion of Inca Cusco was revealed and that to fuly appreciate it would require removing entire buildings, the current surface reality should take precedence over what has been hidden.
He also noted the importance of Mantas street for traffic within Cuzco as well as for the procession of The Lord of Temblors who once a year returns to the Cathedral by means of this entrance to the Plaza.
Ruiz Caro says the walls and stairs that were found will be cleaned and stabilized, before being buried once again.
In the meantime, while many are happy to see their city return to normal, many others are disturbed at the ostensible lack of importance given to artifacts from the Inca past in the decision. Many Cuzquenos hoped for the wall and stairs to remain visible and to be restored so that they could serve as a tangible memory of the glory that was Inca Cuzco.
Though Mantas street will return, the controversy is likely to go on.
