Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983 as one of the few major pre-Columbian ruins found nearly intact. It is the location of Inca ruins about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Cuzco, Peru, in the Cordillera de Vilcabamba. The location is 7,710 feet above the Urubamba River valley in a narrow saddle between two sharp peaks. The two peaks are Machu Picchu (“Old Peak”) and Huayna Picchu (“New Peak”) (2,350 meters).
In addition, Machu Picchu’s location is 2,430 meters above sea level. It is in the midst of a tropical mountain forest, in a setting of exceptional beauty. It was likely the most impressive urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height. The UNESCO World Heritage site contains enormous walls, terraces, and ramps. On the eastern slopes of the Andes, the natural setting encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its diverse plant and animals.
The place is one of the world’s greatest artistic, architectural, and land use achievements. Also, it is the most significant tangible legacy of the Inca civilization. It is famous for its exceptional cultural and natural values. The mixed World Heritage property encompasses 32,592 hectares of mountain slopes, peaks, and valleys surrounding the spectacular archaeological site of “La Ciudadela” (the Citadel) at more than 2,400 meters above sea level. Built in the fifteenth century, Machu Picchu is an abandoned Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in the sixteenth.
Furthermore, Machu Picchu’s massive yet refined architecture blends remarkably well with the breathtaking natural environment. Numerous subsidiary settlements, a vast road and trail network, irrigation canals, and agricultural terraces attest to a long-standing and frequently ongoing human presence. The rugged terrain, which makes some areas inaccessible, has produced a mosaic of used areas and diverse natural habitats.
Brief History of Machu Picchu
The archaeological complex becomes known to the outside world in 1911. The explorer Hiram Bingham III stumbled upon Machu Picchu. He was searching for a different city known as Vilcabamba. Following the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1532, the Inca retreated to this hidden capital. Over time, it became known as the legendary Inca Lost City. Bingham spent the majority of his life arguing that Machu Picchu and Vilcabamba were identical. This theory was in1956, after his death.
In addition to its obvious aesthetic benefits, this architectural style also offers engineering advantages. Despite the lack of mortar, the locals have built beautiful structures. Peru is a seismically unstable nation; both Lima and Cusco were destroyed by earthquakes, and Machu Picchu was built atop two fault lines. The stones in an Inca structure are said to “dance” during an earthquake, meaning that they move through the tremors and then fall back into place. Without this construction technique, many of the most famous structures at Machu Picchu would have fallen long ago.
Located on a steep ridge, the stone terraces solidify the place’s remarkable religious, ceremonial, astronomical, and agricultural center. In addition, the city consists of lower and upper sections
It has a large square separating the agricultural and residential areas. Many of Machu Picchu’s mysteries remain unsolved to this day, such as the precise role it may have played in the Incas’ sophisticated understanding of astronomy and domestication of wild plants.
Indeed, with its rich diversity and intricate architectural designs, it has proven its worth being part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.