Hidden away in the rocky terrain to the northwest of Cuzco, Machu Picchu, believed to have been a royal palace or a sacred place for the Inca rulers, whose civilization was almost completely destroyed by the Spanish invaders in the XVI century. For hundreds of years of the existence of an abandoned citadel was not known until the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham accidentally stumbled upon it in 1911. The existence of this place was known only to local farmers living nearby.

After conducted research, scientists have determined that more than 150 buildings of Machu Picchu most of the buildings of temples, shrines and baths. Many modern archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was housing nobles and Inca emperors. Other scientists suggest that it was a sacred place, pointing to its proximity to the mountains and other geographic features that are considered sacred to the Incas. Dozens of alternative hypotheses have been put forward after Machu Picchu was first introduced to the world, for example, that it was a trading center, a prison, a place to retreat from the sorority or city where the coronation was held the Incas.

In the summer of 1911 the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham arrived in Peru with a small group of researchers, hoping to find the Inca citadel. Bingham and his team, going through the Urubamba valley near Cuzco on mules and on foot, heard from a local farmer's story about the ruins at the top of the nearby hill. The farmer called the mountain of Machu Picchu, that in Quechua means "old peak". July 24, after a steep and difficult climb to the ridge of the mountain, in a cold drizzly weather Bingham met a small group of peasants who showed him the rest of the way. Led by 11-year-old boy, Bingham first saw the intricate network of stone terraces in front of the entrance to Machu Picchu.

Happy Bingham wrote the story of his discovery of "The Lost City of the Incas", which became a bestseller. Then the hordes of tourists began to flock to Peru, to follow in his footsteps and to find more unknown sacred sites of the Incas. Hiram Bingham brought with him to Yale artifacts found during excavations in Machu Picchu and offered them for further study. Although credited with the discovery of the ruins of Machu Picchu Hiram Bingham, in fact, there is evidence that the missionaries and others have been in these places during the XIX and early XX centuries, but they failed to notify the whole world.

The area of ​​Machu Picchu extends 5 miles, has 3,000 stone steps, which connect its various levels. Against the background of a tropical mountain forest on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes visible ruins of Machu Picchu: the walls, terraces, stairs and ramps merge together in their natural environment. Finely crafted masonry buildings, terraced fields and complex artificial waterworks for irrigation of the soil show an architectural, agricultural and engineering achievements of the Inca civilization. The central building is a shining example of the construction of complex and high buildings of cut stones without bonding solution.

Archaeologists have identified several different sectors that make up the city - is an agricultural area, residential area, the Royal district and the sacred area. The most famous - Temple of the Sun, Inti ritual stone wool and granite stone, which is believed to function as a solar clock or calendar.

In 1983, the ruins of Machu Picchu were made to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Named one of the 7 Wonders of the World in 2007, Machu Picchu is the most visited attraction in Peru and the most famous ruins in South America, drawing on its territory hundreds of thousands of people a year. The increase in tourism, the development of the surrounding towns and the deterioration of the environment continues to have a detrimental effect on the nearby to the Machu Picchu site, which are also home to several endangered species of fauna and flora. For this reason, in recent years, the Peruvian government has taken measures to protect the ruins and prevent erosion of the mountain.