Arriving in Peru, you will be captivated by the story of the world famous lost city - Machu Picchu. Over the centuries, Machu Picchu today has become a tourist attraction in South America.
Machu Picchu - "lost city"
About 70 km from the city of Cusco, Machu Picchu was once forgotten and became widely known only when it was discovered by archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911. In 1983 it was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. 2007 marked a new historical turning point for Machu Picchu when it was voted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Located at an altitude of 2450m on the narrow mountain range of the Andes, Machu Picchu is one of the most mysterious wonders in South America travel.
In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted as one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World.
Many people believe that this city was built by Sapa Inca Pachacuti, starting around 1440. For a long time, this place was uninhabited until the Spanish conquest of Peru in 1532. Archaeological evidence plus recent studies of early colonial texts suggest that Machu Picchu was not an ordinary city but a resort for the Inca nobility.
Machu Picchu divides a total of 3 areas: sacred, common and places for nobles and shamans with more than 140 architectural works such as temples, churches, parks, houses and even prisons.
The area around this "city in the air" is about 1,400m2 wide, 2,300m above sea level, covered by clouds all year round. The surroundings of this city are very high and rugged. The ferocious Urumbanba River from Cusco is divided by a cliff facing northward to join the Amazon River system.
The area around this "city in the air" is about 1,400 square meters, 2,300 meters above sea level.
The force of the water flow has formed a dangerous vertical cliff 700m. Sa ReBan mountain is 6,264m above sea level covered with thick white snow that stretches to the ravine. The granite pedestal above the dangerous place is the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu - This city is built against the mountain, bordering the river on three sides, as if there is no way up. The rooms are built in the middle of the mountain in which there are hundreds of perfect natural stone columns, easy for repair and convenient for people to live.
In the citadel, there are many architectural styles such as: temple of the sun god, altar, king's palace, aristocratic mansion, residence of commoners or slaves, trade ward, market, etc. There are a number of intersecting rooms. It's like a maze, it's easy to get in, it's hard to get out.
When participating in a trip to South America, visitors coming here will be surprised with the adjacent and solid rock blocks. Most of the buildings in the citadel are made of stone without the use of mortar. The rocks are linked together extremely firmly, the blade cannot get in. The stone walls built in public places weigh tons.
The stone blocks are meticulously arranged with joints that almost fit together
The base of the wall is chiseled directly on the stone floor. The site of the quarry site is 30,000m2 wide. This proves: Many stone materials were transported from somewhere, pulled up the mountain by human strength and hard levers. If the slave could not bring up the stone, he would be beaten. If the grass roofs of the houses here still exist, then Machu Picchu fully deserves to be the most beautiful city in the world.
Currently, Machu Picchu has been renovated to preserve and serve tourism
To meet the need for self-sufficiency, the Incas reclaimed hundreds of terraced fields behind the mountains and sloping ridges to grow food crops. Each layer of cliffs is about 3m high, hundreds of meters long, stretching to the top of the mountain, each layer is dug trenches for irrigation.
On a small mound of the ancient site there is a large rectangular stone slab that is incomparable. The surface of that stone is polished, sharp edges, placed towards the East, on the stone is tied a rope as big as the mouth of a bowl. Through the evidence of archaeologists, this is the famous "Sun-forced Stone", expressing the Inca's desire not to let the Sun fall, to forever illuminate the rustic sentiments on Earth. In addition, "Sun-tied Stone" is also a featured diurnal astronomical set. The Incas at that time knew through the change of sunlight to determine the season, create the solar calendar and rely on it to do agriculture.
The stone is believed to be an Inca astronomical clock
Some scholars believe that Machu Picchu is the "City of the Sun Goddess". Beautiful women chosen to be goddesses of the Sun from all over the country were brought here to live a reclusive life. It comes from having to keep a careful secret, so the subjects are not aware of the existence of this castle.
In the vastness of heaven and earth, Machu Picchu appeared with an old beauty
To explain the loss of this city, archaeologists have mentioned the backward technology of the ancient Incas. They think that it is not easy to provide clothes and food for a few thousand people, encountering natural disasters, the ancient Incas had no way to maintain their lives, they could only disperse everywhere. Machu Picchu did not suffer from the destruction of nature, but encountered the brutal attack of the tribes from the jungle or sometimes a devastating civil war between the rulers, of the slaves who rose up to revolt. . Since then, the inhabitants have largely died or fled, this aerial city abandoned.
Famous as the lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu attracts South American tourists every year. With the beauty embracing the mountains and the history associated with the mighty Inca empire, this is definitely an interesting destination that you should not miss on your trip to South America.
