Machu Picchu facts for kids
Machu Picchu in June 2009
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 Location in Peru
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| Location |  PeruCusco Region |
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| Coordinates | 13°09′48″S 72°32′44″W / 13.16333°S 72.54556°W |
| Height | 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) |
| History | |
| Founded | c. 1450 |
| Abandoned | 1572 |
| Cultures | Inca civilization |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | Hiram Bingham |
| Official name | Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu |
| Type | Mixed |
| Criteria | i, iii, vii, ix |
| Designated | 1983 (7th session) |
| Reference no. | 274 |
| State Party | Peru |
| Region | Latin America and the Caribbean |
Machu Picchu is an amazing ancient city built by the Inca people in Peru, South America. It was built in the 1400s, long before Europeans arrived.
The Incas built this city high up on a mountain ridge. It sits about 2,430 meters (8,000 feet) above sea level. People lived there between 1200 and 1450 AD. Some people even lived there before 650 AD.
The Incas were very skilled builders. They shaped the mountain rock to create flat areas for houses, fields, and temples. They even built an Observatory to study the stars.
When the Spanish came to Peru, the Incas left Machu Picchu. No one is completely sure why they left. Some think it was because of diseases brought by the Europeans. The city was left unfinished. This was likely due to the Spanish invasion or a fight between two Inca brothers, Huascar and Atahualpa. The Spanish never found Machu Picchu during their time in Peru.
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Discovering Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is very hard to reach because it is so high in the mountains. It has only one way in and a strong stone wall for protection. Most people around the world did not know it existed until 1911.
An explorer named Hiram Bingham from Yale University rediscovered it. He had heard stories about a hidden city. Local Peruvians already knew about it and guided him there. Bingham then led a project to restore parts of the site. The National Geographic Society helped pay for some of this work.
Bingham made a deal with the Peruvian government. He took some artifacts to the Peabody Museum for study. Peru is still working to get these artifacts returned to their country.
Building Style and Important Structures
Machu Picchu was built in the classic Inca style. The walls are made of polished dry-stone blocks. This means they fit together perfectly without any mortar.
The city has three main buildings. These are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. Many of the other buildings have been rebuilt. This helps visitors imagine how they looked long ago. By 1976, about 30% of Machu Picchu had been restored. Restoration work is still ongoing today.
Machu Picchu Today
Machu Picchu is a very important place. It was named a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981. In 1983, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means it is protected for its special cultural and natural importance.
In 2007, people around the world voted for the New Seven Wonders of the World. Machu Picchu was chosen as one of them in an Internet poll.
Today, it is easier for tourists to visit Machu Picchu. There is a new road that leads close to the site. People can also hike along the famous Inca Trail. Another option is to take a train from the city of Cusco.
Images for kids
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Photograph of Machu Picchu taken by Hiram Bingham III in 1912 after major clearing and before reconstruction work began
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Melchor Arteaga crossing the Urubamba River on 24 July 1911
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Sergeant Carrasco at Machu Picchu on 24 July 1911
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Hiram Bingham III at his tent door near Machu Picchu in 1912
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Map of Machu Picchu
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Terraced fields in the upper agricultural sector
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Room of the Three Windows
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Intihuatana is believed to have been designed as an astronomic clock or calendar by the Incas
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The sculpture projecting from the rock bottom of the sun temple is interpreted as "Water mirrors for observing the sky".
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View of the residential section of Machu Picchu
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Interior of an Inca building, featuring trapezoidal windows
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Funerary Stone in upper cemetery
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Artifact collected on Bingham's 1912 expedition, on display at the Museo Machu Picchu
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Artifact collected on Bingham's 1912 expedition, on display at the Museo Machu Picchu
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Silver tupus collected on Bingham's 1912 expedition, on display at the Museo Machu Picchu
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Panoramic view of Machu Picchu from Huayna Picchu
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Panoramic view of Machu Picchu
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See also
In Spanish: Machu Picchu para niños
