Peru is a country in South America so rich in natural beauty and heritage that a lifetime of exploration and discovery would leave you craving more. One of the most well known sites in the world lies high in the mountains of this country.  Machu Picchu (meaning Old Peak), which is often referred to as the ‘lost city of the Inca’, is a well-preserved Inca ruin, dating back to pre-Colombian times.

To put you in the mood, sit back with a glass of wine and watch the slide show on Machu Picchu!  Be sure your sound is turned on to get the whole relaxing effect. 

This archeological wonder is one of the most important archaeological sites in South America and is the most visited tourist attraction in Peru.  In order to preserve the site the number of daily visitors is strictly limited. In 1983, it was designated a United Nations Educational World Heritage Site and as a result of which, is probably the most recognizable symbol of the Inca Empire. This impressive and incredibly beautiful slice of history was forgotten by the outside world for centuries. It was brought back into the World’s public eye in 1911, when American archaeologist, Hiram Bingham, rediscovered the site and wrote what was to become a best-selling work about it, entitled The Lost City of the Incas.

The Inca Empire was the last kingdom to harvest the lands of Peru before the Spaniards conquered the land of gold. The Incas had ruled for only one hundred years, but even in that short period of time they had created a society that reached far beyond the borders of Peru. It is thought that construction of the city was started sometime around 1440, and was inhabited by its founders, the Sapa Inca Pachacuti, until the Spanish conquest of Peru in 1532.

Archaeological evidence suggests that Machu Picchu was anything but a conventional city, and was in fact, a country retreat for Inca nobility who normally resided in towns. However, the nobility were not the only inhabitants. The site is divided into three sectors: the District of the Priests and the Nobility (or the royalty zone), the Popular District and the Sacred District.

Located in the latter district are the primary archaeological treasures: the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Colors and the Room of the Three Windows. These were dedicated to Inti, their sun god and greatest deity. All of the construction was based on the classical Inca architectural style of polished dry-stone walls (no mortar), a technique called ashlar. The stone blocks fit together so tightly that in some junctions it is not even possible to slide a knife. Moving the enormous blocks into place was done without the use of the wheel, which the Inca people never used in a practical manner.  Instead, hundreds of men must have pushed the blocks up the inclined planes to the site. Of course, this is all speculation, and we will never know for sure, because the Incas left behind no documentation about the process. The writing style they used was a series of knots in colored and spun llama hair, in a base 10 positional system called khipus which has never been translated.

Today, together with the tourists, llamas roam freely over the entire ancient site.  They keep the grass tidy and are capable of reaching many spots inaccessible to a lawnmower or a sheep!  If you have an interest in learning more about Peru and the wonderful sites to visit, please click here.