Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel, located in southern Peru, on a 2,430-metre mountain ridge. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, which is 80 kilometres northwest of Cuzco.
Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was constructed as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). The Incas built the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish conquest.
Although known locally, it remained unknown to the outside world until American historian Hiram Bingham brought it to international attention in 1911.
Facts about machu picchu
Machu Picchu was built between 1450 and 1460 in the Cusco Region of Peru.
Machu Picchu is a remnant of the Inca.
It was abandoned as a place for Inca rulers in about 1572.
The city was never actually the “Lost City of the Incas.”
The Machu Picchu citadel sits between the Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu mountains.
This site’s main attraction is the ruins of a citadel with more than 150 buildings.
Machu Picchu stands 7,970 ft above sea level.
By 1976 at least 30% of the site had been restored.
It was voted in 2017 as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
It is the most visited tourist site in Peru.
On average 1.3 million people visit Machu Picchu yearly.
Only 2,500 tourists are allowed into Machu Picchu a day.
There are hourly time slots for entrance to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu was built with polished dry stone walls.
It was named a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981.
UNESCO classified it as a World Heritage Site in 1983.
In Quechua, the native language of Peru, the term Machu Picchu means “Old Mountain”.
Machu Picchu was a massive city that had more than 150 buildings.
The buildings include baths, houses, temples, and various sanctuaries.
60% of the construction is underneath the surface.
There are two different zones in Machu Picchu.
The southern part of the city was used as the agricultural area.
The north side was the urban center.
The Spanish Conquistadors never conquered Machu Picchu.
The Machu Picchu citadel has three main sections.
One for residents, another for princesses, and one section for the sacred.
Machu Picchu weather is rainy with about 1955 mm of rainfall per year.
The Temperatures range is between 12°C and 24°C.
You can’t enter the Machu Picchu Citadel without a guide.
Machu Picchu can’t be seen from below.
300 terraces comprise the agricultural zone.
This makes nearly 6 hectares of land.
There are three primary structures in the urban zone.
The Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows.
No one knows for sure what the Intihuatana is for.
Machu Picchu is a no-fly zone.
You cannot visit wearing your countries folk attire.
You cannot clap, shout, whistle, or sing in Machu Picchu.
The trip to Machu Picchu mountain is 4 hours.
The tour groups for Machu Picchu have a maximum of 16 people.
