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A visit to Peru just would not be complete without a stop at Machu Picchu. It is one of the world’s greatest ruins of the world and a must see destination for anyone visiting the country. This awe-inspiring complex sits high atop a mountain in the Andes Mountains. Located at 2500 meters above sea level it is hard to imagine building such a magnificent site in today’s world, let alone hundreds of years ago without the use of modern tools and technology.  Remarkably well preserved, it managed to avoid 400 years of looting and destruction. Its location in the mountains hid it from the Spanish Invasion and has given tourists an awesome view ever since being rediscovered in 1911. This ancient Inca complex is extraordinary.  The grounds stand atop a flat peak and its terraced steps plunge down the mountain clinging to the side of its slopes.  It is truly a wonder of the world.

The Incas build the engineering and designed the site around AD 1400 for the community to live in for long generations to come but it was abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a century later at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Spaniards look for natives, but still not discovering the estate throughout the quest, still the natives abandon the Machu Picchu to live in a more productive land. Basically only the people living in Peru knew the real story and the site of Machu Picchu, but because of the international media, the world before being brought to international attention in the early years of the 20th Century. Given that fact, It has become a vital vacationers’ destination.

It was built in the classical but comprehensive Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its key buildings are the Temple of the Sun, Intihuatana, and the Room of the Three Windows. These can be found in what is known by archaeologists as the Sacred District of Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu was declared the Seven Wonders of the World in the year 2007, which attracts tourists in large number. It was in the year 1981 that Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary and later in the year 1883 it was confirmed as the World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This place is known for its unusual beauty and is a sacred place for the visitors.

The Incas were hardy people and ruled the Andean Cordillera, which is considered to be the second in height and harshness to the Himalayas. These people lived at altitudes ranging from 15,000 to 16,000 feet and their rituals were performed at heights up to 22,057 feet at Llullaillaco in Chile, which is the highest Inca sacrificial site known. They built roads and sacrificial platforms at these heights, which speaks in volumes of their strength and courage. This ability of the sandal clad Inca to thrive at extremely high elevations continues to perplex scientists even today.