Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel in the mountains of southern Peru. It is located on a mountain ridge at 2,430 meters high, in the Machupicchu District of Urubamba Province. It is about 80 kilometers northwest of Cusco, above the Sacred Valley and near the Urubamba River.

Machu Picchu is often called the "Lost City of the Incas." It is one of the most famous places from the Inca civilization. People think it was built around 1450, maybe as a home for the Inca emperor Pachacuti. There are no written records from that time to prove this. The city was left about a century later, likely when the Spanish came.

Machu Picchu was built with special stone walls without using any mortar. Important buildings there include the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three Windows, and the Intihuatana stone. Local people knew about it, but it became famous worldwide in 1911 when an American historian named Hiram Bingham III visited.

In 1981, Peru named Machu Picchu a National Historic Sanctuary. In 1983, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2007, it was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Today, it is Peru's most popular tourist spot, welcoming many visitors each year.

Etymology

Machu Picchu is between two mountain peaks named Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. In the Quechua language, machu means 'old' and pikchu means 'summit' or 'peak'. So, the name Machu Picchu can be understood to mean 'old mountain' or 'old peak'.

We do not know the exact name the Inca people used for this place. Some research suggests it might have been called "Huayna Picchu" or just "Picchu". The name Machu Picchu became well-known through the writings of American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911.

History

The history of Machu Picchu is full of interesting stories and discoveries. Scholars are not sure exactly when it was built, but most think it was made in the mid-1400s by the Inca ruler Pachacutec. The place was likely used as a special home and resting spot for about 80 years before people left, maybe because of diseases like smallpox that Europeans brought.

Before the Spanish came, Machu Picchu was home to around 750 people, such as workers, religious leaders, and temporary staff. Studies of bones found there show that many people lived there came from different parts of the Inca Empire, each bringing their own traditions and foods. The estate had amazing terraces to help with water and growing crops like maize and potatoes, though much of the food came from nearby valleys.

Machu Picchu was found again in the early 1900s by Peruvian explorer Agustín Lizárraga and later became well-known when American historian Hiram Bingham visited it in 1911. Bingham’s work led to many excavations, which also caused some arguments about taking artifacts away. These artifacts were brought back to Peru in 2012 and are now shown in the Machu Picchu Museum in Cusco.

Current state

Further information: Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is protected as a "Historic Sanctuary" covering 325.92 square kilometers. It has many plants and animals, like the Andean fox, puma, and many birds. In 1983, UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site for its great buildings and importance to the Inca people.

Today, a town called Aguas Calientes is near the ruins. It has hotels and a train station for visitors. Machu Picchu is very popular, with many tourists each year. Rules help protect the site by limiting daily visitors and managing tourism carefully. Even with challenges like flooding, work continues to preserve this amazing place for the future.

Geography

Machu Picchu is in the Southern Hemisphere, about 13.111 degrees south of the equator. It is high in the mountains, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Cusco. It sits at an elevation of 2,430 meters (7,970 feet) above mean sea level. This makes the climate there milder than in Cusco.

The site is built above a bend in the Urubamba River. Steep cliffs drop down to the river below. It is between two mountains, Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. You can see two valleys and a rugged mountain from there. The area has special features like old bridges and roads. The stones used to build Machu Picchu come from earthquake faults nearby, making building materials easier to find.

Site

The site of Machu Picchu has two main parts: an farming area and a town area. The farming area, found to the southeast, has terraces used for growing food. The town area, to the northeast, has homes, temples, and places to store things. This town part is split into an upper town and a lower town.

The upper town has important places such as the Sacred Plaza and the Main Temple. The lower town has special buildings like the Temple of the Condor. The buildings are arranged on wide terraces, with stone steps connecting different levels. The city’s design fits the mountain, with channels for water and rooms for living and ceremonies. Key attractions include the Intihuatana stone, the Temple of the Sun, and the Temple of the Three Windows.

Machu Picchu’s buildings were made using a special way of fitting stones together without using anything to hold them. The Incas shaped big stones to fit together perfectly, making strong buildings even with earthquakes and heavy rain. Terraces helped control water, and canals provided water for farming.

Today, visitors reach Machu Picchu by train to Aguas Calientes and then a bus, or by hiking the famous Inca Trail. A new road is being built to make access easier.

In popular culture

Machu Picchu has appeared in many movies, TV shows, and songs. The film Secret of the Incas (1954) was the first big Hollywood movie made there. Other films such as Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023) also used Machu Picchu as a location. It has been in TV shows like The Simpsons and documentaries such as "Ghosts of Machu Picchu". A song from the Indian film Enthiran, called "Kilimanjaro", was also filmed at this amazing place.