Machu Picchu

‘Machu Picchu’ means ‘Old Mountain’.

A historian named Hiram Bingham rediscovered the hidden city of Machu Picchu in the year 1911.

Archaeologists found ruins of palaces, temples, fortresses and even stone aqueducts that supplied water to the city. They also discovered pottery, terrace gardens and the Intihuatana. These remains were the only clue for archaeologists to study the legends and myths of the Incas.

Machu Picchu could be reached through a stone path called the Inca Trail, which is a walking route that passes through high mountains over the Urubamba River. Many tourists choose to hike on this trail after a train journey to the town near Machu Picchu. Some people choose to trek because they are adventurous, but many others do because they consider the journey as a pilgrimage.

There are three sacred buildings in Machu Picchu. They are ‘Temple of the Sun’, ‘Room of Three Windows’ and Intihuatana, which is a sacred stone. The Incas set up many Intihuatanas in their empire, but only the one in Machu Picchu is still intact. The others were destroyed by Spanish invaders. The top of the Intihuatana was used by ancient astronomers to foretell the best season to plant crops.