Inside Machu Picchu

SOUTHERN PERU, 1450 - 1572

Considered to be a royal estate and constructed during the era of the Inca ruler Pachacutec Inca Yupanqui, Machu Picchu was understood to be home to more than 750 people. It is most remarkable for its location, some 2,430 metres high on a mountain ridge, although the fine stonework and perfect planning of this citadel are just as notable, since they show the peak of the Inca Empire’s immense achievements.

The area was highly spiritual, with a number of temples, palaces and carefully carved rocks for ceremonial purposes. The emperor would stay there temporarily, and his home was located close to the Temple of the Sun. There were also plazas, homes and a cemetery, all reached by crafted stairs and walkways on the eastern slope of the Andes. The structures would prove so solidly built that they would survive the ravages of time.

Indeed, it’s easy to get a great feel for Machu Picchu today. The buildings and the man-made agricultural terraces that provided food for the inhabitants are still present, and it’s clear that they follow the mountainous terrain. The sense of isolation remains stark – for while Machu Picchu is just 50 miles from the Inca capital in Cusco, it stands alone on the mountainside.

During the Spanish conquest of Peru and the subsequent colonisation, the Spanish failed to discover the citadel, so it was never plundered or destroyed. This was an advantage of being so high, and it wasn’t until 1911 when American lecturer and historian Hiram Bingham III was introduced to Machu Picchu by a local villager that it became so widely known internationally.

By that point Machu Picchu had long been abandoned, the eventual collapse of the Inca in 1572 leaving little reason to remain. Today the area of some 80,000 acres attracts large numbers of visitors, although there has long been concern over their potential impact. UNESCO made it a World Heritage Site in 1983.