The historic site of Machu Picchu in Peru is located at an altitude of 2,400 meters above sea level.
Once known as the "Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is today the best known symbol of the Inca Empire.
The site is one of the Seven New Wonders of the World.
The place was built in 1460 by the Inca Pachacutec, but was abandoned a century later.
The site of Machu Picchu was forgotten by the world until 1911, when it was discovered by Hiram Bingham, an American historian.
Was declared a Historic Sanctuary of Peru in 1981.
Was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983.
The city of Machu Picchu was built in the classic Inca style, with carved stone walls.
Its main buildings are Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Temple of the Three Windows.
Machu Picchu received world attention for the first time, when the National Geographic Society magazine dedicated its entire April 1913 issue to the newly discovered city.
An area of 325.92 kilometers around Machu Picchu was declared Peru's 'Historic Sanctuary' in 1981.
The place is probably the most important archaeological site in South America and an unavoidable tourist attraction in Peru.
This historic site comprises about 140 structures.
The name Machu Picchu means "Old Mountain".
The Intihuatana Stone located in the site is one of the many ceremonial stones found in South America.
Researchers believe that the Intihuatana Stone was built as an astronomical clock or calendar.
When in 1911, Machu Picchu was discovered, people were found living there, as well as some ancient mummies.
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