Machu Picchu is a
pre-Columbian 15th-century
Inca site located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft)
above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the
Urubamba Valley in
Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of
Cusco and through which the
Urubamba River flows. Most
archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor
Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", it is perhaps the most familiar icon of the
Inca World.
The Incas started building the estate around AD 1400 but abandoned it as an official site for the Inca rulers a century later at the time of the
Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian
Hiram Bingham. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction.
Since the site was never known to the Spanish during their conquest, it is highly significant as a relatively intact cultural site. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the
New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide
Internet poll.
