Peru Medieval Built: c. 1450 UNESCO

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel set high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, at an altitude of 2,430 metres. Built during the reign of Inca emperor Pachacuti, it was abandoned less than a century later during the Spanish conquest and remained unknown to the outside world until Hiram Bingham brought it to international attention in 1911. It is one of the best-preserved examples of Inca architecture and urban planning.

Site View & Location

Machu Picchu

Peru

Longitude: -72.54

Latitude: -13.16

Historical Significance

Machu Picchu is the most iconic symbol of the Inca Empire and a masterpiece of pre-Columbian engineering. Its terraced agriculture, sophisticated water channels, and earthquake-resistant stonework — built without mortar — demonstrate extraordinary technical ingenuity. It remains central to Andean cultural identity and is Peru's most visited tourist destination.

Facts

Fact 1

Cloud City

Machu Picchu sits at 2,430 metres above sea level, placing it frequently above the cloud line and earning it the nickname "City in the Clouds."

Fact 2

Mortarless Masonry

The Inca used a technique called ashlar — precisely cut stones fitted together without mortar — so tight that a knife blade cannot be inserted between them.

Fact 3

Lost for Centuries

After the Spanish conquest, Machu Picchu was abandoned around 1572 and its existence was unknown to the outside world until Hiram Bingham's expedition in 1911.

Fact 4

Astronomical Observatory

The Intihuatana stone ("hitching post of the sun") functions as an astronomical clock and calendar, precisely indicating the two equinoxes each year.

Fact 5

Earthquake Resistant

The buildings are designed to "dance" during earthquakes — stones move slightly then settle back into place, making the complex highly resistant to seismic activity.

Fact 6

Endangered by Tourism

Machu Picchu now limits daily visitors to 4,500 per day to prevent damage to the site, which receives over a million visitors per year.