SOUTHERN PERU

Machu Picchu was built in It is located in southern Peru. Peru is a country of varying landscapes, starting west with its Pacific coast. It functioned as an astronomical observatory archive dating, as a worship place and as a summer palace for the kings. Machu Picchu was abandoned 100 years later due to a contagious disease.

Its foundation was in between periods dominated by two great emperors of the Incas, Pokchakkyla and Tyras. People believe that Machu Picchu was the last shelter of the Incas in their struggle against the Spanish conquistadors (1529) because, as demonstrated by the findings during that time, a deadly contagious disease spread through the city. In 1983 UNESCO declared Machu Picchu as a world heritage area.

The site was known locally but it was unknown to the outside world until 1911 when historical archeologist Hiram Bingham brought it to light. Maybe that is the main reason why it has stayed greatly intact. Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction and because of that reason the region suffers from the pressures of too many tourists. Also the site is vulnerable to threats from various sources, such as earthquakes and the weather that can bring severe damage to it. Moreover, the preservation of the cultural and archeological heritage of the area are an ongoing concern.

Machu Picchu was build in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Three main structures are the Intinuatana (Hitching post of the Sun), the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. These are located in what is known by archaeologists at the Sacred site of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is made up of more than 150 buildings ranging from baths and houses to temples and sanctuaries. The compound contains more than 100 separate flights of stairs. Most of the individual staircases were carved from one slab of stone.

Many of the stones that were used to build the city were more than 50 pounds and it is believed that no wheels were used to transport these rocks up the mountain. Rather, it is thought that hundreds of men pushed the heavy rocks up the steep mountain side. The technique that the Incas used to build the city is called «ashlar» and its stones are cut to fit together without mortar. They did it in such way that not even today anyone can fit anything between the stones. Some Inca buildings were constructed using mortar but for Inca’s standards this quick makeshift construction was no to be used for building important structures.

Scientists believe that it was built throughout the period of the Inca’s empire. Much of it was built while Pachacuti was alive. He is believed to have reigned from about 1438 to about 1470 and the Inca’s lasted another 50 years before they were conquered by the Spaniards.

Machu Picchu is a 15 th –century Inca site located on a ridge between the Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu mountains in Peru. It sits 7,970 feet above sea level on the eastern slope of the Andes and overlooks the Unubamba River hundreds of feet below.

Machu Picchu is special because of its great archaeological value. It also has a wide variety of ecosystems. This vast domain was tied together by a road that was 40,ooo km. Because of its high altitude (2,430 above sea) a lot of people wonder, how the Incas managed to transport the huge rocks to the top of the Andes mountains. Also access to Machu Picchu is very difficult because up to 2,450 meters right after the whole route they will have to walk to get to the top of the mountain.

It was voted as ‘One of the New Seven Wonders’ of the world on July 7 th, 2007 via an online voting. The Incas had developed a unique technique of building with stones that fit perfectly together. In some cases it’s impossible to fit a coin or the edge of a sharp knife between these stones. The stones don’t stay together because of mortar but because of pure craftsmanship. A famous Swiss scientist, Eric Von Dainihen, believed that only aliens could have taught this special technique to people!!!

Machu Picchu is invisible from below and completely self-contained surrounded by agricultural terraces sufficient to feed the population and watered by natural springs. The homes were shaped like a pentagonal prism. Some of the buildings were built in rectangular prism. Others were rectangular or trapezoid. The only buildings with roofs were the homes that were very small huts and the Sapa Inca’s temples.

TEACHER IN CHARGE: Mr.SPIRIS TEAM: ELENA MALAPANI KORDELA ELEANNA KASAI ANGELA MARIA KOTSI SOURCES: