Machu Picchu

Late afternoon at machu picchu in Peru

Machu Picchu was probably built for Incan emperor Pachacuti, the site is sometimes called “The Lost City of the Incas.” The site’s full purpose is still unknown, but many believe that these ruins once served as a weekend resort destination for the wealthy of the community, while others believe it is a sacred religious site, because of its remote location. Machu Picchu is one of the few ancient Incan sites that were not destroyed and plundered by the Spanish. There are several rooms of the ruins, which have been named by archaeologists, such as the Temple of the Sun, the Room of the Three Windows.

Other important sites at Machu Picchu include the Sun Gat, the Temple of the Condor, and Intihuatana, a carved stone that functions as a sun dial.

Machu Picchu is a pre-Spanish, Inca civilization site located almost 8,000 feet above sea level. The site is located on a mountain ridge above the valley of Urubamba in Peru. The city is also called the “City of the Incas”. Machu Picchu is perhaps the most well known places affiliated with the Inca civilization.

Machu Picchu was built around 1450 for the Inca emperor Pachacuti, but was abandoned only 100 years later with the arrival of the Spanish. Although the city was known by the local inhabitants, it was not given global attention until 1911, when the American historian, Hiram Bingham, announced its presence to the scholar community. During his ensuing excavation, hundreds of artifacts were taken from the ruins and sent to Yale University of study. Recent discoveries also show that the site may have been visited by various other foreigners before Bingham, at which point even more artifacts were taken. The site was labeled as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983.