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Citadel of Machu Picchu

One of the 7 Wonders of the modern world

Machu Picchu


Declared cultural heritage of humanity since 1983 by UNESCO

Lost City - Sacred City - Cradle of the Inca Empire, Machupicchu Located 2,430 meters high in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, the sanctuary of Machu Picchu was probably the most amazing architectural realization of the Inca Empire in Its apogee Its walls, terraces and gigantic ramps give the impression of having been sculpted in the escarpments of the rock, as if they were part of it. The natural frame, located on the eastern slope of the Andes, is part of the upper Amazon Basin, which has a very varied flora and fauna.

Where is Machu Picchu?

The archaeological zone is located on the left bank of the Vilcanota river, in the Kusi Chaka creek, until the mouth of the Alabama river. In the district of Machu Picchu, province of Urubamba, the department of Cusco at 112.5 km. northeast of the city of Cusco in Peru. To get to the Inca city of Machu Picchu, you can choose two routes:
  • Hiking or Trekking: The most popular hike to Machu Picchu is the Inca Trail
  • Train from Cusco to Machu Picchu: Rail to Aguas Calientes and from there by car or walking until you reach the mountain where the citadel is located

Description:

Machu Picchu, Quechua term meaning Old Mountain. Today it is universally known, both for its imposing archaeological remains, and for its incomparable location, on the edge of an abyss in whose bottom run the mighty waters of the Urubamba River.

Machu Picchu, more than a citadel, is an architectural complex that only lacks roofs. This complex is called a city, due to the large number of houses that currently number more than 200, and at its peak, they must have been more. In addition, its design includes plazas, temples, roads, stairways, terraces, aqueducts, etc.

Importance:

The citadel of Machu Picchu includes well-differentiated areas, that historians classified in sectors, for the possible uses that the Incas gave him.


AGRICULTURAL SECTOR:

HIGHER AGRICULTURAL AREA

It is the one found on the current access road, from the middle to the top, composed of a series of agricultural terraces. In the upper part is what most call as "The Cemetery" which was actually an agricultural ceremonial sector, is strewn with an infinity of stones. In this plaza, there is a construction called "The Superior Guardians", which is nothing more than a construction of a Wayrana or Masma type (an Inca construction with three walls). Then, almost halfway through the plaza, there is a carved rock called "La Roca Funeraria", which is given different functions related to funerary rites, but in reality, it was a ceremonial altar of an agricultural nature. In the background, you can see several buildings called "Qolqas" or large deposits. This is followed by a series of agricultural terraces usually called platforms, but a large number of them are found with a lot of vegetation.


LOWER AGRICULTURAL AREA

Located in the lower part of what is the current access road to the citadel. In this sector are "The Lower Guardians", places that were actually the homes of farmers. It is also worth mentioning that here agricultural terraces are covered by vegetation. The earth found in these terraces is vegetable humus that was brought from another place and placed in these terraces.

Machu Picchu Peru

RELATED STORY:  WHERE IS MACHU PICCHU
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Location: Peru

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