The most visited attraction in Peru and Perhaps one of the most the most famous attractions in the world, Machu Picchu is a truly mesmerising and unforgettable place!
Machu Picchu is translated into “Old Mountain” and is situated above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, 2400 metres above sea level. Known as “the lost city of the Incas” Machu Picchu was believed to have been built around 1450 at the height of the Inca empire but abandoned only 100 years later before it could be destroyed by the Spanish in their conquest of the Inca empire. It is not known for what reason the city was constructed, and there are many theories, including the traditional birthplace of the Inca people or a spiritual centre, and one suggestion it was even a prison for people who had committed very serious crimes against the Inca people and their empire!
Machu Picchu was claimed to have been rediscovered by the American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911, but there is evidence to suggest that it was discovered long before that by three people who carved their names in some stone with a date of 1901. There are also other claims to suggest it was discovered in 1904 by an engineer seeing it from another mountain and again by climbers in 1906 who actually claim to have climbed right up to the ruins. Perhaps the most fascinating thing about the discovery of Machu Picchu is that perhaps the city was never lost at all, as when Bingham publicised the discovery of the ruins in 1911 there were mummies and even some surviving families still living on the site.
Today Machu Picchu is the most popular tourist attraction in Peru and in 1983 was named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and in 2007 named as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World! Many people today embark on Machu Picchu tours and trips exploring the ancient city first hand. A Machu Picchu tour for most tourists is the absolute highlight on their holiday to Peru and an experience they will never forget!
Machu Picchu is translated into “Old Mountain” and is situated above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, 2400 metres above sea level. Known as “the lost city of the Incas” Machu Picchu was believed to have been built around 1450 at the height of the Inca empire but abandoned only 100 years later before it could be destroyed by the Spanish in their conquest of the Inca empire. It is not known for what reason the city was constructed, and there are many theories, including the traditional birthplace of the Inca people or a spiritual centre, and one suggestion it was even a prison for people who had committed very serious crimes against the Inca people and their empire!
Machu Picchu was claimed to have been rediscovered by the American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911, but there is evidence to suggest that it was discovered long before that by three people who carved their names in some stone with a date of 1901. There are also other claims to suggest it was discovered in 1904 by an engineer seeing it from another mountain and again by climbers in 1906 who actually claim to have climbed right up to the ruins. Perhaps the most fascinating thing about the discovery of Machu Picchu is that perhaps the city was never lost at all, as when Bingham publicised the discovery of the ruins in 1911 there were mummies and even some surviving families still living on the site.
Today Machu Picchu is the most popular tourist attraction in Peru and in 1983 was named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and in 2007 named as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World! Many people today embark on Machu Picchu tours and trips exploring the ancient city first hand. A Machu Picchu tour for most tourists is the absolute highlight on their holiday to Peru and an experience they will never forget!
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