peru-8-cuzco-sacred-valley

Machu Picchu
CAROLYN MCCARTHY
CAROLYN MCCARTHY
This great This great 15th century 15th century Inca citadel Inca citadel sits at sits at
2430m 2430m on a narrow on a narrow ridge ridge top above top above the the
Río Urubamba. Río Urubamba. Traditionally considered considered
a political, a political, religious religious and and administrative
center, center, new theories new theories suggest suggest that it that was it was
a royal a royal estate estate designed designed by Pachacutec, by Pachacutec,
the Inca the ruler Inca ruler whose whose military military conquests conquests
transformed transformed the empire. the empire. Trails Trails linked linked it to it to
the Inca the capital Inca capital of Cuzco of Cuzco and important and important
sites in sites the in jungle. the jungle. As invading As invading Spaniards Spaniards Intihuatana Intihuatana
never never discovered discovered it, experts it, experts still dispute still dispute ‘Hitching ‘Hitching Post of Post the Sun’, of the this Sun’, exquisitely this exquisitely carved carved rock rock
was likely was used likely by used Inca by astronomers Inca astronomers to predict to predict solstices. solstices.
when when the site the was site abandoned was abandoned and why. and why.
It’s a rare It’s survivor a rare survivor since invading since invading Spaniards Spaniards destroyed destroyed
At its At peak, its peak, Machu Machu Picchu Picchu was thought was thought intihuatanas intihuatanas throughout throughout the kingdom the kingdom to eradicate to eradicate pagan pagan
to have to have some some 500 inhabitants. 500 inhabitants. An An
blasphemy. blasphemy.
engineering engineering marvel, marvel, its famous its famous Inca walls Inca walls
have have polished polished stone stone tted tted to stone, stone, with with
no mortar no mortar in between. in between. The citadel The citadel took took
thousands thousands of laborers of laborers 50 years 50 years to build to build – –
today today its cost its of cost of construction would would exceed exceed
Western Western Agricultural Agricultural
a billion a billion US dollars. US dollars.
Terraces Terraces
Making Making it inhabitable it inhabitable required required leveling leveling
the site, the channeling site, channeling water water from from high high
Sacred Sacred Plaza Plaz
mountain mountain streams streams through through stone stone canals canals
and building and building vertical vertical contention contention walls walls
that became that became agricultural agricultural terraces terraces for for
corn, corn, potatoes potatoes and coca. and coca. The drainage The drainage
system system also helped also helped combat combat heavy heavy rains rains
(diverting (diverting them them for irrigation), for irrigation), while while eastfacinfacing
rooftops rooftops and farming and farming terraces terraces took took
east-
advantage advantage of maximum of maximum sun exposure. sun exposure.
The site The is site a magnet is a magnet to mystics, to mystics,
To Hut To of Hut the of Caretaker the Caretaker of of
adventurers adventurers and students and students of history of history alike. alike. the Funerary the Funerary Rock Rock
While While its function its function remains remains hotly hotly debated, debated,
the essential the essential grandeur grandeur of Machu of Machu Picchu Picchu is is
indisputable.
TOP TOP TIPS TIPS
» Visit » Visit before before mid-morning mid-morning crowds crowds
» Allow » Allow at least at least three three hours hours to visit to visit
» Wear » Wear walking walking shoes shoes and a and hat a hat
» Bring » Bring drinking drinking water water
» Gain » Gain perspective perspective walking walking the lead-in the lead-in
trails trails
Temple Temple of the of Three the Three Windows Windows
Enjoy the Enjoy commanding the commanding views of views the plaza of the below plaza through below through
the huge the trapezoidal huge trapezoidal windows windows framed framed by three-ton by three-ton lintels. lintels.
Rare in Rare Inca in architecture, Inca architecture, the presence the presence of three of windows three windows
may indicate may indicate special special signicance. signicance.
CAROLYN MCCARTHY
CAROLYN MCCARTHY