Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu Plateau and the serpentine to it

Machu Picchu, especially after obtaining UNESCO World Heritage status, has become a center of mass tourism. In 2011, it was decided to limit the number of visitors. Under the new rules, only 2,500 tourists a day can visit Machu Picchu, of which no more than 400 can climb Mount Huayna Picchu, which is part of the archaeological complex

Who created this ancient city? Machu Picchu was built in the middle of the 15th century, about 100 km from the former capital of the Inca Empire - the city of Cusco. According to the documents of the 16th century it was the residence of the Supreme Inca - Pachacutec. But neither the purpose of construction, nor the number of inhabitants, nor even the real name of the building are known.

Machu Picchu was so well hidden in the Andes that the Spanish colonizers who conquered the empire in 1532 did not find this island of civilization. Until the 20th century no one except a few local residents near the mountain knew about the existence of the ancient city.

Where did the inhabitants of the ancient city disappear to is also unknown. There is a version that the inhabitants of Machu Picchu were dependent on the capital city Cuzco for food, so after the Spanish invasion, they were forced to leave their city, having moved to the legendary Vilcabamba.

Machu Picchu (Machu Picchu, translated from Quechua as "old mountain") is a city of ancient America, located on the territory of modern Peru, six kilometers from the village of Aguas Calientes, on top of a mountain range 2400 meters above sea level, overlooking the Urubamba Valley. In 2007, it was awarded the title of New Wonder of the World.

Machu Picchu is also often called the "city in ruins" or the "city among the clouds," also sometimes called the "lost city of the Incas." Similar to Machu Picchu, the highland city of Choquequirao lasted much longer, until the 1570s.