The
Machu Picchu, which means "old settlement,"
is located halfway up the Andes Plateau--in
the Amazon jungle and above the Urubamba
River. Originally a 15th century Incan settlement,
the magnificent city was "lost"
for three centuries, and then rediscovered
in 1911.
It was built between 1460 and 1470 AD by
Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, an Incan ruler.Machu
Picchu is comprised of approximately 200
buildings.Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above
sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain
forest. It was most amazing urban creation
of the Inca Empire.
Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above sea-level;
in the middle of a tropical mountain forest.
It was probably the most amazing urban creation
of the Inca Empire. Its walls, terraces
and ramps seem as if they have been cut
naturally.Machu Picchu was rediscovered
in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, a professor from
Yale.
Architectural Features
The space is composed of 140 constructions
including temples, sanctuaries, parks and
residences, houses with thatched roofs.
The building style is characterized by
exquisitely cut masonry, placed together
completely without mortar. The raw material
was granite, worked by stone and sand into
irregular shapes that fit together like
a gigantic puzzle.
Sectors in Machu Picchu:
The Machu Picchu Consists of two sectors:
Agricultural Sector-The
agricultural area is made up of terraces
for cultivation. Urban Sector-The
urban area is made up of streets, flights
of steps, water channels, small squares
and other minor buildings.
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