Machu Picchu. Lost City of the Incas.
Machu Picchu (literally "old peak") is sometimes called " lost city Incas." This city was created as a sacred mountain retreat by the great Inca ruler Pachacutec a century before the conquest of his empire, around 1440, and functioned until 1532, when the Spanish invaded the Inca Empire. In 1532, all its inhabitants mysteriously disappeared.
As I wrote earlier, we were in Machu Picchu for two days. On the first day it was pouring rain, which greatly spoiled the overall impression of the place, not allowing us to enjoy the beauty of it. unique place, included, by the way, in the list of “New Wonders of the World”.
For 80 soles at the entrance, we hired a guide who took us around the city. This excursion took about 45 minutes. After that, we walked around the city a little more, realized that there was nothing to catch here and went to climb around the surrounding area, in the hope that in about three hours the weather would be normal here. Well, as a result, about three hours later we returned to the city when it was closed. Therefore, we returned to Machu Picchu the next day, having bought tickets again for 126 soles (yes, the entrance ticket is valid only for one day), which we did not regret at all, because we saw the city in beautiful sunny weather, which only occasionally was interrupted by a light rain from a cloud floating over the city next door. Well, any cloud here is really, as they say, “a stone’s throw away.”
1. Bus stop and main entrance to Machu Picchu. Once again it's raining, tourists are hiding under umbrellas and colorful raincoats.
2. Sometimes the rain stopped and gaps formed in the sky.
3. But still, basically on this day Machu Picchu looked like this. Damp, puddles and mud underfoot. You take out your camera and just think about how not to get it wet...
4. Therefore, taking advantage of the fact that we had one more day in reserve, we decided to leave the city until the next day, and we ourselves went to see the Inca Bridge, although we went in the wrong direction, as a result we went to Mount Machu Picchu. What came of it -
5. And this is the same hotel at the entrance to Machu Picchu with rooms for $700 per night. Parked buses are visible behind it.
6. The next day the weather was much better. This is the first view of Machu Picchu that a person who has just entered the city sees. Numerous agricultural terraces
7. Machu Picchu is often called the “City in the Sky” or “City among the Clouds”. Well, actually, that's how it is.
8. The conquistadors did not find Machu Picchu. Perhaps it was this fact that saved the city from destruction and reconstruction. For more than 400 years, this city was forgotten and was in desolation. It was discovered by an American researcher from Yale University, Professor Hiram Bingham on July 24, 1911.
9. Due to its modest size, Machu Picchu cannot claim to be a large city - it has no more than 200 buildings. These are mainly temples, residences, warehouses and other premises for public needs. For the most part they are made of well-processed stone, slabs tightly fitted to each other. It is believed that up to 1,200 people lived in and around it, who worshiped the sun god Inti there and cultivated crops on the terraces.
10. Sector of houses where artisans lived.
11. Mount Huayna Picchu.
12. To build a city in such an inconvenient place for construction, incredible skill was required. According to civil engineer Kenneth Wright and archaeologist Alfredo Valencia Segarra, more than half the effort spent on the construction went into site preparation, drainage and foundation work. Massive retaining walls and stepped terraces have supported the city for more than 500 years, preventing rains and landslides from sweeping it off the rocky cornice.
13. You can safely write a separate post about the natural fauna and animals living here. For example, llamas.
14. There were solid llamas all around. There were so many of them that I almost felt like a lama myself. There were also small lamatas.
15. Feeding llama against the backdrop of Machu Picchu.
16. Very pretty)))
20. Temple of the Sun.
21. He's inside. Pay attention to the quality of the masonry. The smoothest masonry is found in temples and the imperial residence.
It’s a little worse at the houses of the nobility. Craftsmen, workshops, the army and the common people have simpler and worse masonry.
23. Let's take a walk through the streets of Machu Picchu. This photo clearly shows the difference in the quality of construction.
26. Several sources of drinking water are scattered throughout the city. From here, residents took it apart and carried it home.
32. If you go to the other slope of the city, then you can observe a very unusual picture: how the wind from below from the river valley drives clouds through the ridge on which Machu Picchu is located. The clouds are literally rising from below.
33. Valley of the Urubamba River.
34. Just then the clouds came over the city.
36. Main square of Machu Picchu. By the way, during any force majeure, this is where helicopters land to evacuate tourists. This is what happened last year, for example, when all the roads were washed away due to rainfall.
37. Main temple.
38. View towards the agricultural sector. By the way, do you see a peak in the clouds in the distance???)
39. Intiwatana. Sacred stone oriented to the cardinal points. It is believed that the Incas used it to observe the Sun.
41.The main square again.
47. And this stone is called La Roca Sagrada/
48. This is a checkpoint for those going to Huayna Picchu. In total, two parties of 200 tourists each are allowed in. That is 400 people a day.
50. All sorts of crawling creatures.
51. Narrow streets again.
52. Craftsmen's quarters again.
53. Here in the center of the frame is a condor stone.
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This was the last post about Peru. In conclusion, I would like to note a few important, in my opinion, things that can be considered advice to those who decide to go to Peru. So.
1. Peru for Russian citizens - visa-free country. The only thing that is necessary is to fill out an immigration card when entering, and when leaving, pay a national tax of 32 dollars, and it is paid in dollars.
2. Money. We took most of the money for bank cards. This is convenient from the point of view that it allows you not to carry large sums of money with you, while at the same time being able to withdraw the required amount from any ATM. Avoid suspicious ATMs; we only withdrew money from ATMs at banks and didn’t seem to have withdrawn anything extra. The size of the commission depends on the cockroaches of your bank. By the way, do not forget that banking transactions in Peru, according to our banks, are potentially risky, which means the security service can block the card itself at any time. To avoid this, I personally wrote an application to Alfa Bank so that the card would not be blocked. Bank24.ru did not require me to write anything.
Cards are accepted at major cities almost everywhere they may be needed: at gas stations, restaurants and hotels. In small stores, of course, they won’t accept it. By the way, don’t forget another unpleasant point: the further you are from Lima, the worse the cards are. In the provinces, an additional percentage is generally very common (7-10%) if you pay by card.
Cash dollars and euros can be exchanged both in banks (at an unfavorable rate), and in private exchange offices or from money changers at central squares. Their exchange rate is much better, but they can cheat, and it’s not worth flashing large sums of money on the streets. Through an ATM, Salts are withdrawn at the official rate. One New Salt is approximately equal to 1/3 of a US dollar.
3. Hotels. We only stayed in hotels. We did not spend a single night either in a car or in a hostel. In all the cities where it was possible to book hotels before leaving Moscow through booking.com, we did this and never regretted it at all. Therefore, we strongly recommend everyone to book hotels in advance. Firstly, you will already know exactly your location and the address where you need to go, for example, from the airport. After a 12-hour flight, believe me, you won’t have the strength to run around Miraflores with your trunks.
Secondly, if you book through Booking.com, you can get a great deal in terms of price, because there are always some special offers and discounts. So in Lima we lived in a 4* hotel in a junior suite, for only 80 dollars a day, with its market value almost 2.5 times more. Besides, everything good hotels As a rule, they are booked several days or even weeks in advance. It may turn out that there simply won’t be any free places, and it’s not worth staying anywhere in Peru: this is not just a matter of comfort, but also of safety.
The only places where we were unable to book hotels were Paracas and Aguas Calientes. Well, fortunately, we found them on the spot without any problems, since the places are exclusively touristic.
4. Security. This is the most exciting question for all those who are going to this region. If someone thinks that these are all “horror stories” and bullshit, then I’ll say right away: out of harm’s way, you shouldn’t go here. Peru is a rather poor country and the level of development of the vast majority of the population here is not very high. As a result, there is a large number of robberies, thefts and assaults. For your own benefit, here are some tips.
Carry with you only as much money as you plan to spend that day. Leave everything else in your room along with documents such as a passport and driver’s license. There is absolutely no need to carry them with you all the time. Carry all the money and documents (if you do take them) in your pockets; it is better not to have any handbags hanging on your shoulders - they can simply be torn off by a passing car or motorcycle when you are standing at a traffic light or walking along the sidewalk.
When riding in a taxi, always place your bags and backpacks at your feet, close the windows and lock the doors. While the car is stuck in a traffic jam or at an intersection, robbers can quickly open the door and by the time you realize what happened, it will be too late. However, all normal taxi drivers will tell you this right away, especially when traveling from (to) the airport, because there you go through very unfavorable areas. To be on the safe side, it’s better to always wear your seat belt (even in the back), so there’s less chance that you’ll be pulled out of the car (it happens), and considering traffic in the city, this is not at all superfluous.
Do not walk around cities in the dark (well, with the exception of Lima in the Miraflores region - there you can be careful), try to avoid narrow streets and courtyards. Under no circumstances should you poke your nose into favelas, unless you set a goal to have adventures in one place))) If you have any questions with the police (no matter how real or fake) - always call the embassy IMMEDIATELY!!! 90% of all problems are solved with just one call. the police there “love” visitors just as much as in our country.
Everywhere they write that Lima is the center of crime, but in the provinces everything is cute and fluffy. This is wrong. The “tourist capital” of Cusco is full of narrow and seedy streets, where packs of dogs walk, and prostitutes and other strange people look at you carefully as you pass by them (and you still have nowhere to go - the streets are only 3 meters wide).
5. General impression. Despite all of the above, with due caution, not everything in Peru is as bleak as it seems. Top tip When planning your trip: always allow at least one extra reserve day on the coast and at least one extra day in the mountains. In Peru, something can go wrong at any moment (the bus is cancelled, planes are not flying due to the weather, all places on an excursion are selected, etc.), and this can greatly disrupt your schedule, and you have to make it very tight - from this won't go away.
The sights you will see in Peru are unique. Therefore, if only for this reason, it is worth going there. But at the same time, we should not forget that this is not a vacation, but a journey that requires a lot of preparation, concentration of strength and attention, and a willingness, if necessary, to put up with the lack of obvious benefits of civilization. For example, not a single city in Peru has a centralized hot water supply. This means that the availability and quality of hot water (or lack thereof) will directly depend on the hotel or other place you choose to stay overnight. It may turn out that the water will be hot, but only in the shower (that is, in the sink in the bathroom there is only cold water) this happened to us in Aguas Calientes. But in general for the country, this is quite normal and should be kept in mind. With all this, they have Wi-Fi almost everywhere and for free. By the way, Megafon's roaming in Peru refused to work.
Peru is indeed not a country for everyone. It’s impossible to sit in one place for a week here, no matter how hard you try, the route will be drawn up according to the principle: 2 nights in the city - moving - 3 nights in the city - moving - 2 nights in the city - moving and so on...) You should not miss out on Please note that on the coast there is very high humidity (washed clothes do not dry at all), and in Cusco there are highlands, where there is a noticeable lack of oxygen.
But with all this, it is also very interesting country. Stunning colonial architecture, coastline Pacific Ocean, Andes, unique nature and fauna, and, of course, the Nazca drawings and the heritage of the Incas - structures that are difficult to wrap your head around when you think about the time at which they were created.
In general, a visit is highly recommended for real travelers.
If anyone is interested in any other points, please ask...)
Machu Picchu(Quechua Machu Picchu) is one of the most famous attractions, an ancient city nestled on the top of a mountain range (2.6 thousand meters above sea level), above the river (Spanish: Rio Urubamba), 120 km from the city. In 2007, the settlement was awarded the title “New Wonder of the World”.
Prices are valid for March 2018 G.
Some tourists prefer to travel from Aguas Calientes to the abandoned Inca city on foot. In this difficult and lengthy mountain hike It’s better to leave around 5 a.m. to watch the sunrise there.
- The most interesting: go on foot along the ancient one. For such a hike, designed for 4 days of travel, average physical fitness of the participants will be required.
- The most budget-friendly: from Cusco take a minibus or bus to Ollantaitambo, then take buses first to Santa Maria (Spanish: Santa María del Mar), then to Santa Teresa (Spanish: Santa Teresa) and Hydroelectrica (Spanish: Hidroelectrica). The entire trip will take about 6 hours. From Hydroelectrica to Aguas Calientes you can walk in 1.5 - 2 hours.
Curious facts
- Yale University professor Hiram Bingham, who worked for a long time on studying the ruins of the Incan civilization, wrote several popular books based on his discoveries, such as “ The Mystery of Machu Picchu" and "The Lost City of the Incas."
- Interestingly, the Incas built their cities in the shape of animals. From a bird's eye view, Cusco, for example, resembles a puma. And Machu Picchu is built in the shape of a condor bird. One can only guess who in the 15th century could have seen this from above.
- Religion had a huge influence on the way of life and behavior of the Incas; they honored the gods and tried to live by observing the main commandment: “Ama Sua, Ama Llulla, Ama Qhella” (Kech. Ama Sua, Ama Llulla, Ama Qhella - “Do not steal, do not lie , do not be lazy").
- In 1983 M-P entered to the register World Heritage UNESCO, becoming the center of world tourism. Today, up to 2.5 thousand tourists visit it every day, but in order to preserve the monument, the organization demands that the number of daily visitors be reduced by three.
- M-P has dimensions of 530x200 m and is clearly divided into 2 zones: agricultural (consisting of terraces located on steep granite slopes) and urban (including the main square, winding streets and up to 200 buildings). Both areas are separated by stairs, a wall and a moat.
- To build a fortification in an extremely inconvenient place for construction, enormous efforts and unsurpassed skill were required. However, the titanic work was not done in vain, because massive walls and stepped terraces have securely held the mysterious city for more than 550 years, preventing natural elements from tearing it down from the heights of the mountain range.
- H. Bingham, who discovered the hidden place in 1911, hypothesized that Machu Picchu was a city of priestesses, “virgins of the Sun.” But as a result of scrupulous research by scientists, it was found that representatives of the stronger sex also lived here. True, of the 173 skeletons found in ancient ruins, only 23 of them belonged to men.
- There was a belief that if you touch the sacred stone “Intuniana” with your forehead, the world of spirits and the divine energy of the Sun will open to a person.
- For a long time it was assumed that this mountainous region was inhabited by people long before the advent of the Inca civilization. The most progressive scientists attributed the authorship of the buildings to alien architects. But modern researchers have established that the city was built in 1450 and could well have been the summer residence of the ruler and his court, because it was much hotter in the capital Cusco.
- Scientists reject the theory of external invasion: no destruction or traces of violence were found here. There is a hypothesis that the population was wiped out by a smallpox epidemic. It is likely that the residents left their home as punishment for the dishonor inflicted on one of the priestesses. In the Inca state, violence against the solar maiden was punishable by death both for the culprit and all his relatives. Moreover, it was already forbidden for the entire community, even animals, to live in the desecrated place.
- The Incas revered many stones as sacred. Perhaps this fact explains such a careful adjustment of the stone blocks: even a blade could not be inserted between some of them! Is it true,
Only stones used for the construction of temples and houses of noble citizens were subjected to jewelry-grade processing. - Machu Picchu was surrounded by “andenes” - special stepped agricultural terraces reinforced by walls made of rough-hewn blocks. From them the name arose mountain range. Andenes was filled with fertile soil brought from the Urubamba River valley. Potatoes, maize, medicinal herbs and even flowers were grown here.
- For the Incas, gold and silver were sacred metals, which they called nothing more than “tears of the Sun and Moon.” Europeans had a completely different attitude towards precious metals. The first detachments of Spanish conquistadors who captured Cuzco discovered so many gold objects here that for about six months they melted them into ingots, which were then sent to the metropolis. All this was the reason for the depreciation of gold, unprecedented in the history of mankind, which then fell several times in price.
- Having exhausted the Incan gold reserves, the Spaniards launched another campaign to search for precious stones and metals in the Cusco area. Due to its inaccessible location, Machu Picchu has long been identified with a hidden fairyland. Despite the fact that no treasures were found here, it was nicknamed the “Golden City of the Incas.” Lonely, hidden in the rocks, it is still one of the most mysterious and amazing places planets.
- The answer to the question “Where did the people of Machu Picchu go?” Scientists have not yet found it.
City Machu Picchu(from the Quechua language - “old peak”) was discovered in 1911 by an American professor Hiram Bingham aka brought all historical values and not only historical ones to America from Machu Picchu. There is a very ugly story associated with this export, for which Peruvians still do not like Americans.
Hiram Bingham essentially deceived the Peruvian government. He carved out almost a year for himself to explore the city without the intervention of the Peruvians, and during this time he removed all the more or less valuables from there. Considering that the city was not destroyed by the Spaniards, but was simply abandoned by its inhabitants for unknown reasons, one can imagine how much was found in the ruins. Negotiations are currently underway on the return of the exported valuables, but the Americans are putting forward a condition - the Peruvians must build a museum. Bingham believed that Machu Picchu was the mystical city of Vilcabamba. 
In 1983 the city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Machu Picchu is also one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
The steep mountain with the ruins of the city, washed by the Urubamba River, is believed to have been built under the great Pachacutec. In my opinion, the most important advantage of Machu Picchu is its unique beauty. Inca aestheticism reached its maximum with the creation of this perfect city. The harmony of strict geometric architectural forms and smooth lines of the mountains and valleys surrounding Machu Picchu is striking. From whatever point you look at the city, it fits perfectly into the landscape. 
And it is not surprising that people come here not only for knowledge and impressions, but also for spiritual energy: this is where they look for a mystical connection with the cosmos. 
The city was built entirely of stone, using all space in harmony with functionality. It contains 2 sectors: urban area, where temples, palaces, external staircases and water springs are located, and an agricultural zone where Andenes are built - huge stepped terraces for farming. 
In the midst of all this beauty, llamas peacefully graze :) 
So many books and tourist reviews have been written about Machu Picchu that we decided not to repeat it all here.
No less interesting and mystical place Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is not without reason that the Vilcanota River Valley is called the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Its unusually fertile lands fed most of the empire, and some of the products remained for sale. There was probably not a single piece of uncultivated fertile land, including on the slopes. Some terraces, built to last, are still used by local peasants. 
Many buildings for both religious and domestic purposes have been preserved in the valley. Including “tambos”, a kind of camp where travelers could rest and eat. "Tambo" (in Quechua - "tampu") means "post station". The Sacred Valley of the Incas leads to Machu Picchu. It should be noted that there were no idle travelers in the Empire. Only those who performed a specific state task set off on the journey, so they were always guaranteed rest, protection and food. And the warriors could replenish their supplies of weapons and clothing. Thanks to a large number stored food, no natural disasters could cause famine in the country. The Spaniards calculated that the Incas could have lasted for more than one year on such reserves. 
Ollantaytambo- This historical complex, located in the Secret Valley 40 km northwest of Cusco, was an important agricultural, administrative, religious and military center of Tiwantinsuyo. The city is located in the upper reaches of the Urubamba River at an altitude of 3500 m above sea level at the beginning of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Ollantaytambo is located on a rocky promontory, rising above the valley to a height of about 60 m. A single narrow stone staircase leads to the top, on the side of which there is a cascade of 17 agricultural terraces. Residential areas have an unusual architectural style. The huge multifaceted walls and trapezoidal doors of local temples and palaces amaze even modern architects. The building blocks were produced on the opposite slope of the valley, 6-7 kilometers from Ollantaytambo. There, as well as on the way to the temple, blocks are still found that have already been processed, but never “reached” their destination. Locals call them “tired stones” and treat them with reverent respect. It is impossible to imagine how a person could move such masses. 
Opposite the giant staircase in the rocks you can see the nature-carved face of the supreme creator god of the Andean peoples - Viracocha. According to one legend, it was here that the first Incas woke up in caves. 
The fortress was built by the rebel general Ollantay, who opposed the will of the Supreme Inca Pachacutec. The general and the Inca's daughter loved each other, but Pachacutec was categorically against their wedding. Ollantay and the daughter of the great ruler hid in this citadel for a long time. Based on these events, the epic work “Ollanta” was written, which has miraculously survived to this day.
And these springs flowed back in the time of the Incas. 
The Spanish attempted to capture Ollantaytambo once in 1536, but were unsuccessful. Hernando Pissaro's detachment was forced to retreat in a hurry, barely avoiding death.
The name “Machu Picchu” comes from the Quechua language and means “old mountain”. The settlement is also often called a "city among the clouds" or a "city in the sky." Not far from the city is the Huayna Picchu cliff, which means “young mountain”. According to legend, this rock is a guardian frozen in stone. And indeed, from a certain angle, the outlines of Huayna Picchu resemble the profile of an Indian looking into the sky.
The city consists of several hundred buildings and has a clear structure. In the southeastern part there are palace buildings, houses of the nobility and temples. One of the most unusual buildings is the Temple of the Condor, which got its name because of the stone, the outline of which resembles a bird's head with a beak. The stone probably served as a sacrificial altar, since the “beak” is bordered by a groove. There is a hypothesis that the condor was a cult bird among the Incas, personifying the elements of air and freedom. The two small rocks behind the sacrificial stone symbolize wings.
Where is Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a world-famous Incan city lost in Peru. To get to it you will first need to fly to Peru by plane to the capital Lima. Then you will need to make a short plane transfer to Cusco. Next, tourists by train will be able to reach the village of Aguas Calientes with railway station called "Poroy" or another station in Sacred Valley. This is the village that is closest to the cherished goal. The next step is to buy a bus ticket to Machu Picchu. In terms of cost, this route is the most expensive.
If tourists want to save money cash, you will need to take a bus from Cusco to Urubamba. There you can change to another bus to Oyantaytambo. In the evening hours, a train departs from the indicated locality to Aguas Calientes. The total travel time exceeds 6 hours.
As a result, the journey will be quite tiring. Moreover, from Aguas Calientes you will need to take a bus to the mountains. But this will take no more than a quarter of an hour, and you will find yourself in the wonderful and mysterious city of the Incas.
If you are not used to getting anywhere by transfer train, you can take the direct Aguas Calientes train. True, the ticket price may be too high for some.
Inca City
Holy City ancient empire Incas Machu Picchu is the pride of modern Peru, one of the main attractions and Latin America. Also known as " lost city Incas", after all modern world I learned about it only in 1911, thanks to the expedition of the American professor Hiram Bingham.
The ancient architectural complex occupies an area of more than 30 thousand hectares and is rightfully considered a masterpiece of Indian architecture.
The city is located in an amazing picturesque place- among inaccessible cliffs, at an altitude of more than 2000 meters above the valley of the Urubamba River.
Why the Incas created a city in such an inaccessible place is still unclear. Perhaps the reason is that these lands have not only long been famous for the beauty of nature, but are also considered mystical place having powerful positive energy. Perhaps the tops of the rocks were the best suited for conducting astronomical observations and brought the Indians closer to the Sun, whom they worshiped as the supreme deity.
The Great Sacred Square separated the area of the nobility from the dwellings of ordinary people, shops, workshops and the cemetery located in the Funeral Rock. In the southern sector of the city there were peasant houses with outbuildings and pens for livestock. The Incas built the roofs of their houses from wooden beams connected by vines, and covered them with straw on top.
The main temple of Machu Picchu is located in the western part of the city. Behind it there is a hill with artificial terraces and long stairs, leading to one of the most mysterious attractions in architectural complex- the stone of Intihuatan, also known as the “stone of the Sun.” This is a huge polygonal stone carved from granite monolith on top of the cliff. It is believed that the stone was used by priests in the ritual of “binding the Sun,” a symbolic action performed annually on the day of the winter solstice.
City designation
Numerous studies by historians have not led them to a consensus regarding the purpose of the city of Machu Picchu. And now there are several hypotheses that have not become axioms.
According to the first theory, the city was the homeland and last stronghold of the Incas during their fight against the conquistadors. But only later it became known that last refuge The city of Espiritu Pampa became a mysterious ancient people.
The temple built for the Solar Maidens was called Machu Picchu for a long time. Scholars have suggested that it was founded for a women's religious order to worship them. Many years ago, the American George Eaton discovered a huge number of remains of female skeletons at the excavations of the city. But the assumption made turned out to be false, and this became clear only in 2000. Then more detailed studies of the bones were carried out. It turned out that the female population in the city did not predominate.
A number of scholars consider this mysterious city to be the residence of a 15th century Inca ruler. We are talking about Emperor Pachacuti. The hypothesis arose at the end of the twentieth century due to a Spanish document, but no one has yet been able to accurately confirm it.
In 1991, the American Reinhard (a famous archaeologist) drew attention to the fact that the city was built on the top of a mountain, at the foot of which the stormy Urubamba River flows. As a result, it was concluded that this city had sacred significance for the Incas. Reinhard suggested that Machu Picchu united Heaven and Earth, was a kind of “sacred beginning” for the ancient people, symbolized eternity, a detail of the mythological landscape. But such thoughts are very extensive and, according to other anthropologists and archaeologists, have nothing to do with the real purpose of Machu Picchu.
And another theory from 2009. The Italian astrophysicist expressed his opinion that the city was a common place of pilgrimage, and this was its main purpose.
To date, none of the above hypotheses has any real basis or any confirmation of data. Therefore the purpose mysterious city of the ancient Incas remains unclear.
Where did the residents go?
It is also not possible to answer this question unambiguously. For too long, people have been trying to unravel the secrets of the beautiful “heavenly” city. It seems that now some thread of reality has been lost forever by numerous researchers and scientists.
Some believe that the inhabitants died from a smallpox epidemic. Others tell of attacks by wild tribes. But this seems incredible, because no traces of their presence were found. There is also no destruction in the city.
Another hypothesis is the desecration of the city, after which the inhabitants hastily left it. It is believed that violence was committed against the priestess of the Sun. The Incas believed that they were not allowed to be in the desecrated territory and left in an unknown direction.
Perhaps the onslaught of the ruthless Spanish conquerors forced the indigenous people to leave the sacred lands, forever losing their high status. But again, it is unknown in which direction the Incas went, and what happened to them after leaving Machu Picchu.
Perhaps another mystery of the mysterious city about the disappeared inhabitants will remain forever unsolved. But scientists do not stop looking for answers.
Disappearance of Inca gold
Thousands of expeditions from all over the world are trying unsuccessfully to find the famous Inca gold. It is believed that the ancient people mistook the conquering conquistadors for gods and gifted them with their unearthly treasures. When the last Inca ruler was executed, the Spaniards hid the gold and took part of it out of the city. But the search continues, and the treasure remains unfound.
There are several interesting versions, each of which was not confirmed. Some believe that the ingots were found in Germany by the Nazis back in the thirties. Others point to the Vatican, arguing that it was the Catholic Church that took possession of the treasures.
Still others believe that gold was transported to Poland in some unimaginable way by the last of the Incas. But all these versions turn out to be unreliable, since no one managed to find the amazing treasure. Gold hunters continue to visit the abandoned city of Machu Picchu. Someone believes that the bulk of the gold rests in his lands - it cannot be otherwise. Some scientists even provide historical evidence that the Spaniards took only a small part of the amazing treasures from the territory of the Incas.
It is only worth noting that the city of the ancient Incas has not been fully explored. It is possible that it still conceals unprecedented mysteries that you really want to solve as soon as possible. Thousands of daredevils come here to find answers to the most tricky historical questions that are closely intertwined with modernity.
Conclusion
The heyday of the power of the Inca city was the second half of the 15th century. In the 30s of the 16th century, the city suddenly became empty. It is known for certain that the city was not among the settlements destroyed during the invasion of the Spanish conquistadors, so the reason why the sacred city was depopulated remains a mystery.
There are many different hypotheses. Among possible reasons called a smallpox epidemic or desecration sacred places. It is most likely that the “city in the sky” lost its significance after the fall of the empire and was therefore abandoned by its inhabitants. Be that as it may, researchers still hope that someday this secret will be revealed.
Photos
In 1911, for several days, Hiram Bingham's expedition, accompanied by Indians, made its way through the jungle to the foot of Machu Picchu Mountain in Peru. The ancient lost city of Machu Picchu with its undestroyed observatories, temples and houses appeared before the researchers completely intact. No human has set foot in these places for a long time.
Machu Picchu is really important architectural monument South America, and in 2007 it received the status of a new wonder of the world. The city from the time of the sons of the Sun of the Incas has reached us safe and sound, and its beauty is incomparable with many other cities around the world.
History of the construction of the city of Machu Picchu
The name Machu Picchu was given to the city by its discoverer, but the present one was forever hidden in the memory of centuries. The city is located 120 kilometers from the famous Cusco near the Urubamba River. It is believed that Machu Picchu was built by Pachacuti, who reigned from 1438 to 1471. At first, Machu Picchu occupied a secondary role, but after the capture by the Spaniards, Cusco became the main and last city of the Incas, where their civilization came to naught.
The Spaniards never visited here, but still civilization began to fade away. Conservation from others settlements, the gradual overgrowth of the city reduced its population. And this continued until its last resident died. Bingham found several dozen skeletons here, most of which were female.
One has only to marvel at the skill of the ancient builders. The buildings, located in a hard-to-reach place, are at different heights, and more than a hundred stone stairs had to be made to connect them. All the city's buildings are made in cyclopean masonry - the stones are held together only by their own weight. Due to the unevenness of the terrain and the presence of sometimes strong slopes, the stones have special convexities for greater stability. It is also worth noting that all these stone colossuses, according to the level of development of the Incas, were erected exclusively by human forces without the use of special devices.
Description of the districts of the ancient city
The central district of the city is the Acropolis. Here is the Temple of the Sun Itiutana, the only extant temple dedicated to the supreme deity of the Incas. There is also the Temple of the High Priest and the Temple of the Three Windows, named because of the three large windows in the stonework.
Temple of Three Windows
The next quarter is Royal. Its construction dates back to the 15th -16th centuries. Here is the fortress temple of Torreon, a semicircular tower with many small altars. Not far from it is the Princess Palace, where the Inca Queen Coya, or daughter of the Inca chief, lived. It is believed that the Inca himself lived here in a palace consisting of two buildings. But this is only a guess, and the obligatory Inca residence at Machu Picchu has not been confirmed.
Torreon
The next block is allocated for ordinary houses. Behind the ridge of stone ramparts is the artisans' quarter. Even further away is the building where the judges and executioners were supposed to be located. Not far from here is a semblance of a city prison with hooks for chaining prisoners.
Jail
Behind the prison there are caves with burials. The exquisite decoration of the cave rooms suggests that noble people of the city, and perhaps the entire Inca Empire, were buried here, whose mummies could have been transferred from the sack of Cuzco.
By the way, research into this ancient Incan city continues, and who knows what discoveries are hidden in the ruins of the magnificent cultural monument of Machu Picchu.
