Peru - Machu Picchu The Lost City of the Incas
The Inca Empire Covered an Area as Large as the Roman Empire.
Mar 27, 2009
At the height of its power the Inca empire covered what is now Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Columbia, Chile and Argentina — an area as large as that of the Roman empire — and the Incas themselves were highly skilled engineers and mathematicians who calculated the angle of the earth’s axis and used stone sundials to predict the coming of solar eclipses.
Peru —Machu Picchu — Built by the Incas
The massive open-air museum known as Machu Picchu is evidence of the Incas' skill and determination. The enormous rocks used for the altars, houses and stairways were cut from quarries and brought up the mountains by cables made from vines and leather from llamas. And except for the straw roofs, it is all perfectly preserved. The Incas used no beasts of burden, nor did they discover the wheel, yet they built cities comparable in beauty and durability with any in the world.
Machu Picchu — Why Was it Built?
The true function of this incredible stone city is unknown although it is thought it was religious. One of the most widespread theories is that is was built as an enormous convent for a group of special women known as ‘Virgins of the Sun’ whose lives were dedicated to worship.
Contributing to this theory is the fact that ninety percent of the human remains excavated there were female and all of the gold ornaments were for female adornment. Whatever the answer is, the mystery is all part of the excitement and fascination of this Peruvian mountain hideaway.
Machu Picchu — How to Get There
Most visitors to Machu Picchu arrive by train from Cuzco — the only other way is to take the route Hiram Bingham took in 1911, the Inca Trail. Treks are organised from Cusco and then you walk 65 miles to Machu Picchu. A strong heart and strong boots are needed for this.
Machu Picchu, the fabled ‘Lost City of the Incas’ is perched on the side of a mountain some 8,000 feet above sea level and is reached via a narrow road that snakes around more then a dozen hairpin bends. It is completely hidden from below and was never found by the marauding Spanish conquistadors when they looted South America of its treasures in the 16th Century.
Machu Picchu — What to See and Do
One of the most interesting constructions at Machu Picchu is the Palace of the Princess. In some cases, the Incas built special houses for their nobles and it is thought that this one was for one of the princesses who served in the Temple of the Sun.
There are so many incredible sights in Machu Picchu, and so much evidence of how capable the Incas were of surviving here. The great number of agricultural terraces cut into the side of the mountain were used to cultivate the more than 200 species of plants used for food and medicine.
Walking around this ancient mountain-top city you can run your fingers across the huge stone walls and scarcely feel a joint. The stones are so perfectly wedged together they have survived earthquakes without even a crack.
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