Machu Picchu: A Mystical Place

INTRODUCTION

We have heard that there are seven wonders of the world but we don’t know the name of all wonders and it is hard to say that you remember that Machu Picchu is one of the seven wonders of the world. As much as it is less familiar to us as its history is more interesting and it has an awesome geographical condition.

So let's start to read and grab the information about Machu Picchu.

ABOUT

Machu Picchu is a 15th century Inca Citadel (Inca Empire), located in the Eastern Cordillera of Southern Peru (a country in South America), on a 2430 meter (7970 ft) mountain ridge.
It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, which is 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Cuzco.
The Urubamba River passed through it and created a canyon with a tropical mountain climate.
Most archeologists believe that Machu Picchu was constructed as an estate for the Inca Emperor Pachacuti (Kingdom of Cusco) in 1438-1472.
It is the most familiar icon of the Inca civilization. The Incas built the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish conquest.
Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls.
It has three primary structures as the Intihuatana, the Temple of Sun, and the Room of Three windows.
Most of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed to give tourists a better idea of how they originally appeared.
By 1976, 30% of Machu Picchu has been restored and restoration continues till now.
It was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

HISTORY

It is assumed that the construction of Machu Picchu appears to date from two great Inca rulers, Pachacutec Inca Yupanqui (1438-1471) and Tupac Inca Yupanqui (1472-1493).
Archaeologists have mutually concluded for their own sake that Pachacutec ordered the construction of the royal estate for himself. Most likely after a successful military campaign.
It was used for 80 years before being abandoned by the Spanish Conquests.
It is possible that most of its inhabitants died from smallpox introduced by travelers before the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the area.

TEMPLE OF SUN

It is similar to the Temple of the Sun found in Cusco and the Temple of the Sun found in Pisac.
A Serpent’s Door faces 340 degrees have a series of 16 pools & describing a view of Huayna Picchu.
The Temple also has two trapezoidal windows, one facing 65 degrees called the ‘Solstice Window’ and other facing 132 degrees called the ‘Qullqa Window.
During the 15^th century, the Inca Constellation Qullca, storehouse can be viewed out the Qullqa window at sunset.

INTIHUATANA STONE

These stones are arranged to point directly at the sun during the winter solstice.
It is an instrument or place to ‘tie up the sun’.
The Stone is situated at 13degree9’48’’ S.
At midday on 11 Nov and 30 January, the sun stands almost exactly above the pillar, casting no shadow.
The stone casts the longest shadow on 21 June on its southern side & on 21dec a shorter shadow on its northern side.

TEMPLE OF THREE WINDOWS

Out of 5 windows, just 3 windows are remaining & these represent each part of the world: The Underground(Uku-Pacha), the heaven(Hanan-Pacha) & the present time(Kay-Pacha). These windows also represent the rise of the sun.
It has many structures that are considered as baths, where the Inca clean his body and mind & that baths had minerals that cured any kind of pain and sickness.

FIRST AMERICAN EXPEDITION

Bingham was not only a lecturer at Yale University but also a trained archeologist. After returning from the Pan-American Scientific Congress in 1909, he traveled through Peru and was invited to explore the Inca ruins at Choqquequirau in the Apurimac Valley.
He organized the 1911 Yale Peruvian Expedition in part to Search for the Inca capital, which was thought to be the city of Vitcos after the consult with Carlos Romero, one of the chief historians in Lima who showed him a helpful reference, and Father Antonio de la Calancha’s Chronicle of the Augustinians.
Bingham returned to Machu Picchu in 1912 under the sponsorship of Yale University and National Geographic again and with the full support of Peruvian President Leguia.
The expedition undertook a four-month clearing of the site with local labor, which was expedited with the support of the Prefect of Cuzco. Excavation started in 1912 with further excavation undertaken in 1914 and 1915.
Bingham focused on Machu Picchu because of its fine Inca stonework and well-preserved nature, which had lain undisturbed since the site was abandoned.
Rumors arose that the excavation team was stealing artifacts and smuggling them out of Peru through Bolivia.
But, Bingham removed many artifacts openly and legally. They were deposited in the Yale University Museum.
Bingham was abiding by the 1852 Civil Code of Peru. The code stated that “archaeological finds generally belonged to discovery, except when they find the private land”.
The local press started accusing and claiming that the excavation team harmed the site and deprived local archaeologists of knowledge about their history. So landowners began to demand rent from the excavators.
At that time, Bingham and his team left the Machu Picchu and locals had formed coalitions to defend their ownership of Machu Picchu.

GEOGRAPHY

Machu Picchu lies in the Southern Hemisphere on the top of the mountain Machu Picchu, located about 2,430m above sea level.
It is one of the most important archaeological sites in South America, one of the most visited tourist attractions in Latin America & the most visited in Peru.
The majority of the annual rain in Machu Picchu falls from October to march, summer is wet humid and winters are dry frosty.
Machu Picchu is situated above the Urubamba river. The location of the city was a military secret, & its steep mountains provided natural defenses.
The city sits in between the two mountains Machu Picchu & Huayna Picchu, with an adorable view. The hillsides were terraced to provide more farmland to grow crops.