Machu Picchu (literally “old peak”, true name unknown), sometimes called “the lost city of the Incas.” The city is located on top of a mountain ridge at an altitude of 2,057 meters above the valley of the Urubamba River in present-day Peru. This city was founded as a sacred mountain cabin a great ruler Inca Pachacutec in the century before the conquest of his empire, that is, approximately in 1440 and functioned until 1532, when the Spaniards invaded the Inca empire. However, prior to the settlement of Machu Picchu Spanish conquistadors never reached, and the city was not destroyed. Therefore still remains a mystery, where and why mysteriously disappeared all of its residents back in 1532. There is speculation that it was the winter residence of Pachacutec. After the collapse of the Inca empire, the city lost its importance, and the inhabitants had left him forever.
According to its modest size Machu Picchu cannot claim to be a big city – it is not more than 200 buildings. This is mainly temples, residences, warehouses and other facilities for public use. For the most part they are composed of well-crafted stone, close-fitting panels to each other. It is believed that in and around it lived up to 1200 people, who worshiped the sun god Inti and cultivated crops on the terraces. More than 400 years the city was forgotten and remained in ruins. His discovered an American researcher from Yale University professor Hiram Bingham in 1911. When he got here, accompanied by a dedicated government unit of Health and local boy, a conductor, he found the peasants living there. In addition, there before have already visited attractions lovers who leave their names inscribed on the charcoal granite walls.