MACHU PICCHU

1) Machu Picchu is one of the seven new wonders of the world.

2) It is ubicated in the rocky countryside northwest of Cuzco, Peru.

3) Machu Pichu is believed to have been a royal state or sacred religious site for Inca
leaders, whose civilization was virtually wiped out by spanish invaders in the 16 th
century.

4) The city´s existence was a secret known only to peasants living in the región.

5) The site stretches over an impressive 5-mile distance, featuring more than 3000
stone steps that links its many different levels.

6) Historians believe Machu Picchu was built at the height of the Inca empire, which
dominated western South America in the 15th and 16th centuries.

7) It was abandoned an estimated 100 years after its construction, probably around
the time the spanish began their conquest of the pre-columbian civilization in the
1530s.

8) However, there´s not evidence about a Spanish attack or Invasion against the city.

9) For this reason it´s suggested that the residents desertion ocurred because of a
smallpox epidemic.

10) It is believed that Machu Picchu served as a royal state for Inca emperors and
nobles.

11) Other theories said that it was a religious site, pointing to its proximity to mountains
and other geographical features that the Incas held sacred.

12) In the summer of 1911 the american archaeologist Hiram Bingham arrived in Peru
with a small team of explorers hoping to find Vilcabamba, the last Inca stronghold
to fall to spanish.

13) When they reached to Urubamba Valley, they were told by a local farmer about
some ruins which are located at the top of a nearby mountain.

14) The mountain was called Machu Picchu which translates to “old peak” in the native
Quechua language.

15) So they started the searching of the city, and in July 24th they found the city.
16) The excited Bingham wrote a book about the city. This is “the lost city of the Incas”.
Many copies were sold and in consecuence Machu Picchu was known by many
tourists.

17) In the Binham’s exploration artifacts were excavated from Machu Picchu and they
were taken to Yale university for further inspection.

18) A one century later Peruvian government required and lobbied president Barack
Obama for the return of ítems that Yale agreed to complete their repatriation.

19) Although Bingham is credited with making Machu picchu known to the world, there
is evidence that other explorers reached the site during 19th century but were
simply less vocal about it.

20) Machu Picchu is made up of more than 150 buildings ranging from baths and
houses to temples and sanctuaries.

21) The most distinct and famous structures are the temple of the sun and the
Intihuatana Stone which is believed its function is as a solar clock or calendar.

22) Since 1983 Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Hesitage site and it is designated
one of the new seven wonders of the world in 2007.

23) It is Peru´s most visited attraction and South America´s most famous ruins,
welcoming hundreds of thousands of people a year.

24) Due to enviromental degradation, the Peruvian government has taken steps to
protect the ruins and prevent erosion of the mountainside.