One of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu Essay

Machu Picchu is one of the great Wonders of the World and a popular travel destination. The massive 15th century Inca citadel is located in Peru, sitting over 2,000-metres above the sea level. The mysterious structures have tickled our imagination ever since it was brought to the world’s attention in 1911.

On July 24, 1911 an antiquity site located in the mountains surrounding Cusco, Peru, was rediscovered by explorer Hiram Bingham almost half a century after it was constructed. Since 1911 Machu Picchu has come into prominence as a tourist site because of its interesting history and its mysterious abandonment. Much of Machu Picchu has been restored since its discovery to give tourists a window into what it would have been like to live there at its prime. Machu Picchu was built by the great Inca civilization in 1450 and it is believed that it was used as an imperial retreat for the Inca Emperor. Historians now believe that the abrupt abandonment of Machu Picchu was a result of the Spanish conquest, but one of the reasons that it is so well

The land that it is at today was owned by the Spaniards, but when the Inca battle them and won they got to own the land. Then the Spaniards fought back and took over the Inca Empire. Then the author wrote “Not Intel 1911, it was given for the world to see.” This shows how long the Spaniards wanted to keep their new Empire that they stool from the Incas. It is now today in Peru’s national areas system for cultural and natural heritage. The management unit for the world heritage was established I 1999. The two great Incas Pachacutec Inca Yupanqui and Tupac Inca Yupanqui ruled and built the great architecture building. The ruler Pachacutec Inca Yupanqui ruled Machu Picchu during the years 1438, and 1471. The ruler Tupac Inca Yupanqui ruled Mach Picchu during the years 1472, and

1. Before Francisco Pizarro began the Spanish conquest in 1532, the Incan empire dominated the Andes Mountain region. An emperor who demanded strict obedience ruled the land. All business was run by the state, which could draft citizens for its projects. The Inca, terracing the landscape and irrigating the crops, farmed the mountainsides. The Inca were brilliant engineers, whose roadways included bridges. The city of Machu Picchu is an example of their skill with tools like the plumb bob and wooden roller, which they used for in heavy construction. Hundreds of years after their civilization was subdued by the Spanish, the descendants of the once-dominate Incas make up about 50 percent of Peru’s population.

High in the Andean mountain range, nestled on a ridge between two mountains high above the valley floor below sits the amazing city and archaeological site of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is about 1400 kilometers south of the Equator on the eastern slope of the Peruvian Andes. The site lies near the head waters of the Amazon River and is on the ridge between two prominent mountain peaks – Machu Picchu and Hauyna Picchu – about 500 meters above the valley bottom (Wright and Kenneth, 2-3). Machu Picchu, believed to be the royal estate of the Inca ruler Pachacuti, is the most well-known of all the Inca archaeological sites. Professor Hiram Bingham discovered the site in July of 1911 and excavated it with the help of National Geographic and

b. Machu Picchu is a mountain city built by the Incas. It was a religious site. In 1911 it was discovered by the Europeans. It is now a tourist site.

First, the Incas were both master builders and stonemasons, and they created and constructed many useful and beautiful buildings, roadways, and walls. The Incas built the site of Machu Picchu in Peru, and its, "City buildings and terraces ... are of the best quality", and, they are still standing today (3). This shows that the Incas were a very sophisticated society who solved their agricultural problems and provided shelter for their people. Also, this indicates that the Incas were very conscious about the quality of their buildings. In addition, the Incas were also superior wall builders because, “ Using bronze chisels and stone hammers they fitted

Built at the height of the Inca empire, Machu Picchu is not only one of the world’s most stunning man-made wonders, but possibly the most well-known relic of the Americas’ most powerful civilization. At the time the structure was built, the Incas ruled the largest nation in the world ; it covered much of South America's west coast and its borders stretched from present day Colombia, southward to the border of modern day Chile. The empire thrived from the twelfth to the fifteenth century until the Spanish conquest in 1572. Although the empire expanded at a rapid speed and covered abundantly diverse areas, Incan emperors effectively unified their empire and maintained legitimacy both socially and politically, by employing unique organizational

The only written accounts of the Inca were composed by outsiders, its myths and culture passed to generations by storytellers. Little bits and pieces of its existence were mainly found in the ruins of cities and Temples. In 1911 archaeologist Hiram Bingham discovered the 15th century mountaintop citadel of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu’s magnificent stone structures reflecting the power of this Pre-Colombian

Along with developing their economy, the Inca also achieved highly developed forms of art such as weaving techniques, pottery, music and architecture. One of the best examples for their architectural achievement is Machu Picchu (“Who were the Incas”, 2017). Machu Picchu was built by the Pachacuti, the emperor at the time. He built the city as a way to seal his conquest. The Incas were skilled in warfare and they built the magnificent city of Machu Picchu for others to see from the tops and bottoms of hills. The city was a form of Inca power and it still stands strong today (“Who were the Incas”, 2017). The Inca highly evolved throughout the years and it is shown in their art and architecture.

The first theory has to do with the Spanish invasion of South America, in the 16th century. Soldiers and plagues killed the Inca soldiers and in 1572, their last city fell. It is believed that Machu Picchu was a royal estate, and once the Inca emperors died, it fell into ruin.

Inca’s Buildings, and Tools The Inca’s tools and buildings were mainly made of stone, and a little bit of wood in their buildings,but what is fascinating about them is how they built their houses. Stone tools were important to the Incas life because wooden tools couldn’t break stones, and their structures were made of stone (limestone or/and granite). Since the stone buildings were important( Machu Picchu or the city on the Andes mountains were also important), to the Incas way of life so it would be the top left corner in the exhibit. The way the Incas built the building is important to because that is what made them stand and stay standing for so long without collapsing.

There are ruins of the palace and guest areas there today. There were places for farmers, weavers and servants who worked for the royal family to stay. The buildings had steep roofs to prevent heavy, frequent rains from damaging them. Because the mountain Machu Picchu was built on mostly consisted of granite, all of the buildings were made of it. Machu Picchu also shows the farming technique of terraces, where people leveled the land for farming so it would be easier to irrigate and to reduce erosion. There is also a cemetery there, which consists of many female skeletons, suggesting it was a sanctuary for the chosen women, or the Virgins of the Sun, women chosen by high ranking officials for their beauty. On the mountain there is also the Temple of Three Windows and Hitching Post of the Sun are located in the Main Plaza. The Temple of Three Windows is a hall with trapezoidal windows, while the Hitching Post of the Sun is a ceremonial sundial that stands six feet tall and is carved. Machu Picchu is an important and unique monument to the Incan

The empire was located near Machu Picchu but was located in Cusco which was located Peru. Machu Picchu was 5.02 sq miles large. The Incas had surroundings where flat lands were rare so they made terrace farming. Terrace farming is when you simply make flat land for your crops

Machu Picchu is a physical symbol of the culture that created it. It is located in the Andes Mountains in Peru, South America, high above the Urubamba River Canyon Cloud Forest. The Incan capital, Cuzco, the closest major city, is forty three miles northwest of this landmark. Machu Picchu is five square miles and eighteen square kilometers in size. This ancient civilization has an altitude of eight thousand feet and is surrounded by towering green mountains. Although covered in dense bush, it had many agricultural terraces that were sufficient enough to feed the population. Due to water from the natural springs as well as the agricultural terraces, it had the ability to be self-contained. Machu Picchu was created by the Inca culture for