Machu Picchu (in Quechua Machu Pikchu, “old mountain”), also called “lost city of the Incas”, is a well-preserved pre-Columbian city, located on top of a mountain, 2400 meters above sea level, in the Urubamba river valley , current Peru.

It was built in the 1911th century, under the orders of Pachacuti. The site is probably the most typical symbol of the Inca Empire, either because of its original location and geological characteristics, or because of its late discovery in XNUMX.

Only about 30% of the city is of original construction, the rest has been rebuilt. The reconstructed areas are easily recognized by the fit between the stones. The original construction is formed by larger stones, and with grooves with little space between the rocks.

It consists of two large areas: the agricultural one, formed mainly by terraces and food storage areas; and the other urban, in which the sacred area with temples, squares and royal mausoleums stands out.