Machu Picchu
Incan mountain citadel
Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Incan citadel situated high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, about 50 miles northwest of Cusco.
Built during the reign of the Inca emperor Pachacuti, it was abandoned after the Spanish conquest and remained largely unknown to the outside world until American historian Hiram Bingham brought it to international attention in 1911.
The site is renowned for its sophisticated dry-stone construction and dramatic mountain setting, making it one of the world's most visited archaeological destinations.
Former Inca imperial seat
- Inca TrailHistoric Andean hiking route
- QuechuaAndean indigenous language family
- llamaDomesticated Andean pack animal
- alpacaFleece-producing Andean camelid
quipu · Sacsayhuamán · chicha
South American western range
- cloud forestMist-immersed mountain ecosystem
- peakUtmost height attained
- altitudeMeasured height above reference
- cordilleraLinked mountain ranges
valley · elevation · orchids · hummingbirds · mist · sunrise · panorama · switchbacks
Worthy of reverence
- spiritualRelating to the soul
- pilgrimageReligious journey to shrine
- solsticeDay of maximum tilt
- equinoxSun crosses celestial midline
astronomical · alignment · energy · enigma · reverence · mystery · lost city · hidden
Construction using rock
- templesHoly places or head sides
- terracesRaised flat outdoor areas
- plazasPublic open squares
- fountainsWater-spouting structures
walls · stairways · mortarless · granite · excavation · restoration · discovery · archaeology
Cultural arm of UN
- World Heritage SiteInternationally recognized protected place
- cultural preservationProtecting community traditions and artifacts
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
- protectedKept from harm
tourism · monument · legacy · site management · endangered · restoration · authenticity · stewardship
Cusco
Former Inca imperial seat
- Inca TrailHistoric Andean hiking route
- QuechuaAndean indigenous language family
- llamaDomesticated Andean pack animal
alpaca · quipu · Sacsayhuamán · chicha
Andes
South American western range
- cloud forestMist-immersed mountain ecosystem
- peakUtmost height attained
- altitudeMeasured height above reference
cordillera · valley · elevation · orchids · hummingbirds · mist · sunrise · panorama · switchbacks
sacred
Worthy of reverence
- spiritualRelating to the soul
- pilgrimageReligious journey to shrine
- solsticeDay of maximum tilt
equinox · astronomical · alignment · energy · enigma · reverence · mystery · lost city · hidden · remote
stonework
Construction using rock
fountains · walls · stairways · mortarless · granite · excavation · restoration · discovery · archaeology · artifacts
UNESCO
Cultural arm of UN
- World Heritage SiteInternationally recognized protected place
- cultural preservationProtecting community traditions and artifacts
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
protected · tourism · monument · legacy · site management · endangered · restoration · authenticity · stewardship · national park
- Famous LandmarksEiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, Great Wall, Pyramids of Giza, Giza pyramids
- 7 WondersGreat Wall of China, Petra, Christ the Redeemer, Chichen Itza, Colosseum
- ancient ruinsStonehenge, Pompeii, Colosseum, coliseum, Parthenon
- ancient sitesPompeii, Stonehenge, pyramids, Colosseum, Giza
- highland destinationsCusco, La Paz, Lhasa, Quito, Kathmandu
- Latin America travelCancun, Rio de Janeiro, Galapagos, Chichen Itza, Buenos Aires
Machu PicchuDeath Valley
Below-sea-level California desert
Angkor Wat · Babylon · underwater ruins · Port Royal · Venice
Machu PicchuAtlantis
Mythical sunken island
Pompeii · Carthage · Tenochtitlan · Babylon · Troy