FAQ About Machu Picchu Peru

It was built in the 15th century.

The city was discovered by explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911.

In the Quechua Indian language, “Machu Picchu” means “Old Peak” or “Old Mountain.”

It is the most spectacular urban creation of the Incan Empire and one of the most important heritage sites in the world.

It was built in a classical Inca style with polished dry-stone walls. In 2007, Machu Pichuu was voted one of the new seven wonders of the world in a worldwide internet poll.

Machu Pichuu was declared a Peruvian historic sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

The city sits on top of a mountain of about 8,000 feet (2,430 meters)

The structures were built with a technique called &Idquo ashlar (stones were cut to fit together without mortar, and remarkably, not even a piece of paper can fit in between two stones.

The water supply is built in a relatively steady grade, depending on gravity flow to carry the water from the spring to the city center. The Inca supply canal flowed gently into Machu Pichuu at an engineered grade on a carefully built terraced right of way

The city is a mysterious wonder, a city of stone built without the aid of wheels or iron tools, it is the best example of Inca engineering.