Museo Inka

The Museo Inka (Incan Museum), also known as the Archaeological Museum of Cusco, it contains many artifacts of the Peruvian history from pre-Inca civilizations and Inca culture to the impact of the Conquest and colonial times on these native cultures.

The building was the palace of Admiral Francisco Aldrete Maldonado, it is one of Cusco's finest colonial mansions, with a superbly ornate portal indicating the importance of its owner. The mansion was built on the top of an Inca palace at the beginning of the 17th century.

The main draw of this archaeological museum is its collection of Inca mummies, but the entire facility is Cusco's best introduction to pre-Columbian Andean culture, including the rich cultures that thrived before the Incas.

The museum's exhibits include ceramics, textiles, vases, jewelry, architectural models, and an interesting collection (reputed to be the world's largest) of Inca drinking vessels (qeros) carved out of wood, many meticulously painted. In the courtyard is a studio of women weaving traditional textiles.