Machu Picchu (in Quechua language, machu pikchu means “Old Mountain”) is a mysterious city of the Incas, built in the middle of the 15th century, and the main attraction for which travelers go on tours around Peru. It is located about 100 km from the capital of the Inca Empire, the city of Cuzco, in the mountains at an altitude of 2450 meters above sea level and is so secluded in the Andes that the Spanish colonialists could not reach it. We learned about this city in 1911 thanks to the American scientist from Yale Hiram Bingham. Although in fairness it should be noted that the locals always knew about Machu Picchu, but were in no hurry to share information with strangers.
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| Machu Picchu |
How Machu Picchu was Discovered
The history of the discovery of this city is very interesting: the fact is that Hiram Bingham was looking for a completely different city - the legendary Vilcabamba, where, according to the legend of the Incas, many of their treasures and mummies of rulers were taken out during the conquest of the country by the Spaniards. Bingham wandered through the mountains in the hope of finding some trace of this city, and on the way he met a boy carrying a ceramic jug. Bingham, being a scientist, immediately realized that the jug was not simple, and asked the boy where he got it. Adult local residents did not trust the gringos and tried not to give out their secrets, but the boy, out of his heart's simplicity, told about Machu Picchu and showed Bingham the way.
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| Machu Picchu Peru |
New 7 Wonders of the World
In 2007, 100 million people voted to include Machu Picchu in the list of the 7 New Wonders of the World. And since 1983, Machu Picchu has been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Today, the construction of Machu Picchu seems incredible - stones were transported from remote quarries: they were lowered along wet clay slopes, dragged over logs, and then they were polished so perfectly that even now it is impossible to push a knife blade into the joints of the joints! Machu Picchu surprisingly fits into the surrounding landscape, which is why it is often called "the city in the sky" or "the city among the clouds." The triangular roofs of his buildings appear to be part of the landscape. This is an engineering and architectural masterpiece: to build such a city, builders had to have extensive knowledge of topography, geology, astronomy and ecology: natural slopes were used during construction, and construction techniques ensured the stability of buildings even in the event of a rock slope of 40 degrees or in the event of an earthquake.
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| Machu Picchu UNESCO |
City Appointment
It is not known for certain what Machu Picchu was built for. According to the documents of the 16th century, it was the residence of the Inca Supreme Pachacuteca (1438-1470), which after his death turned into a place where the children of the noble families of Cuzco were sent to study. Men studied astronomy and women studied textiles. According to another version, the city had a military and defensive purpose: firstly, it provided control over the neighboring tribes subordinate to the Incas, and secondly, under the control of Machu Picchu there was access to the fertile tropical and subtropical regions, where fruits, pumpkins, coca were grown. and various medicinal plants - the most important products for that time.
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| Machu Picchu |
Mountain Huayna Picchu
(Huayna) Wayna Picchu is the mountain you see in all the classic images of Machu Picchu just outside the city. Translated from the Quechua language, this name means “Young Mountain”, while “Machu Picchu” means “Old Mountain”.
There are many residential and temple buildings on Vaina Picchu. The way up is quite dangerous; people with good physical fitness can decide on it. There are many who want to climb there, but a limited number of people can get through: only 400 people a day. To get into this number, you need to buy in advance an entrance ticket to Machu Picchu, which includes a passage to Vaina Picchu. Such a ticket costs $ 10 more than a regular ticket.
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When to go to Machu Picchu
The weather allows driving to Machu Picchu all year round. The dry season lasts from April to October, and the rainy season lasts from November to March. You can also inspect Machu Picchu during the rainy season, you just need to grab an umbrella and a raincoat: it rains intermittently and sometimes the sun peeps out. In addition, during this period there are fewer tourists and you can more safely walk around the ruins.
The temperature is fairly even throughout the year, with strong fluctuations in day and night values: -1 / + 14C degrees at night and +23 / + 27C during the day.