The haunting gray ruins of Machu Picchu are all that remain of this once pure-white granite city in the clouds. Forgotten for centuries and located 2,400 meters (8,000 ft) up in the Andes Mountains, this Inca marvel is now rightfully one of the official wonders of the world and Peru’s greatest tourist trap. But, if one looks closer at the near-perfect planning of the entire city and its ghosts, one meets a culture of ingenious engineers, farmers, and artists who easily did things that modern humans find it hard or even impossible to do. Machu Picchu’s history is a smear of amnesia that is difficult to repair, but one thing remains certain: It was one of the best-engineered cities of its time. It was a flagship of Inca technology and pride, and it was constructed to last for eternity.
10Why It Was Built
The origins of Machu Picchu remain rooted only in theories. Its hidden beginnings endow the city with an awe-inspiring presence that can only be described as magnetic, and no real answer seems to be forthcoming any time soon.
The origins of Machu Picchu remain rooted only in theories. Its hidden beginnings endow the city with an awe-inspiring presence that can only be described as magnetic, and no real answer seems to be forthcoming any time soon.
