Description
Machu Picchu (from Quechua Machu Pikchu) is an Inca city in Peru that was never discovered by the Spanish and therefore not destroyed. Much of the Inca civilization remains in this city. Machu Picchu is situated between steep mountains, at an altitude of approximately 2,400 meters, in the region of the city of Cuzco. The Incas reached the city via a steep path. The trek took several days, making the city difficult to access. Today, it is also accessible by train and bus. Machu Picchu is nestled between two steep peaks: Machu Picchu (literally "old mountain" in Quechua) and Huayna Picchu ("young mountain" in Quechua). The powerful Urubamba River flows through the rocky valley at an altitude of 1,750 meters. It is believed that construction of Machu Picchu began around 1440, under the direction of Pachacuti. The city was inhabited until the Spanish conquest of the area in 1532. Scholars disagree about its function. Because of its inaccessibility, it is assumed that it had no ordinary function. It is often assumed that Machu Picchu was a country retreat for kings and other high-ranking officials. The city has many residences for nobles, as well as a few houses for their servants. It could accommodate around 750 people. During the rainy season, when the kings were not present, there would have been far fewer people in Machu Picchu. When the Spanish defeated the Inca Empire, the regular migration to and from Machu Picchu by nobles ceased, and the city was abandoned. Another explanation for its peculiar location and its abandonment is that it was a fortress serving as a defense for the Inca Empire. After the Spanish conquest, there was no longer any need for the Incas to continue visiting the city. This explanation is often disputed, as the city's location makes it unlikely that the Inca Empire was defended from there. Moreover, there were insufficient houses for infantry. A third theory holds that Machu Picchu was primarily intended for collecting coca leaves, as it was situated at a point from which many plantations were accessible. However, this does not explain the city's abandonment: even after the Spanish conquest, coca continued to play an important role in the area. It was recently established that in 1867, the German gold prospector and timber merchant Augusto Berns discovered and plundered the mountain city with the permission of the Peruvian government. Berns sold the historical treasures to European museums.[2] In 1911, the historian Hiram Bingham conducted a study of the Inca trails in the vicinity of the city. During this study trip, he rediscovered Machu Picchu. The city gained widespread fame in 1913 when National Geographic devoted an entire issue to Machu Picchu. In 1983, the city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a popular tourist attraction, of great importance to tourism in the entire region. It attracts around 400,000 visitors annually, a concern for UNESCO, which fears that this large number of visitors will further damage the city. Since the 1990s, shops, hotels, and similar structures have been built, and many new buildings are being constructed along the ancient Inca trail that leads to the city.
