| Strategically placed almost eight thousand feet above | | | | the Temple of the sun are just a few among many |
| sea level, Machu Picchu is a set of ruins fondly called | | | | structures built in the ancient city. All structures are |
| the Old Peak by local Peruvians. The Urubamba River | | | | mainly built of dry stone in a uniquely Incan design. |
| flows by and below it while it is on the Urubamba | | | | In the early 1900's Machu Picchu was declared as a |
| Valley mountain ridge. Machu Picchu was constructed | | | | UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also renowned to |
| by Emperor Pachacuti of the Incan Empire and he | | | | be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Because |
| made it a major estate of the empire. Today it is an | | | | of its strategic position, it is one of the few Incan cities |
| icon of the Incan civilization that was conquered by the | | | | that was not destroyed or plundered by the Spanish |
| Spaniards and is commonly referred to The Lost City | | | | conquerors that were travelling the Americas to |
| of the Incas. | | | | impose their colonization. |
| Machu Picchu was constructed and engineered | | | | Early in the 1900's, much of the artefacts that were in |
| approximately in AD 1400 as a royal estate. However, | | | | the city were salvaged from Machu Picchu by |
| it was later abandoned once the Spaniards entered | | | | explorer and researcher Hiram Bingham and were |
| and conquered the Incan empire. Since it is so high up | | | | placed in Yale University of the United States. In 2007, |
| in the mountains, agriculture was mainly achieved with | | | | the Peruvian government and Yale University made a |
| partial success through terraces, but more Incans | | | | pact to have the artefacts returned to Machu Picchu |
| opted to leave Machu Picchu for more fertile and level | | | | since it is a heritage site deserving of its properties and |
| grounds. Today, because of all the mystery and | | | | inheritance from an ancient civilization. |
| history that has surrounded the area for decades, | | | | To best preserve the area, there is a no fly zone over |
| Machu Picchu is a major tourist destination for people | | | | it and plans to build bridge to accommodate tourism |
| coming from all corners of the world. | | | | have been halted. Much admired and much visited, |
| Within Machu Picchu are sacred temples and buildings | | | | Machu Picchu is close to making it on the list for World |
| where the Incans worshipped and all were located in | | | | Heritage Sites in Danger due to the threat of it not |
| the Sacred District of Machu Picchu. Temples such as | | | | being able to handle the tourism carrying capacity. |
| the Room of the Three Windows, the Intihuatana, and | | | | |