The historic sanctuary commemorates its momentous designation as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, announced in Lisbon in 2007.
The Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu never ceases to amaze the whole world. Each year, one and a half million travelers climb up to its green esplanade surrounded by passages and walls to meet the past and look to the future.
Today more than ever, the world is celebrating Machu Picchu’s designation as one of the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World. The announcement was made in Lisbon on July 7th, 2007. Machu Picchu shared the podium with other ancient relics such as the Great Wall of China, the Nabatean city of Petra (Jordan), Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), the Mayan city of Chichen Itza (Mexico), the Colosseum in Rome (Italy) and the mausoleum of the Taj Mahal (India).
Despite the passage of time, Machu Picchu’s impressive history still awakens the curiosity of its visitors, who are eagerly awaiting the opening of the borders and the lifting of restrictions so they can travel to Cusco again.
Machu Picchu is located in the province of Urubamba, in the Cusco region, almost 8000 feet above sea level, and is overlooked by the Huayna Picchu mountain.
Who moved the rocks to build the complex? Who erected its structures with such perfection?
History of the sanctuary
Some think that Machu Picchu is the result of an extra-planetary or mystical intervention, but historians have shown that it was the effort of thousands of Peruvians who made this marvel possible.
Machu Picchu was the work of the Incas, a highly organized civilization that inhabited South American lands between the 15th and 16th centuries. The Incas worshiped Inti (the Sun God), Pachamama (Mother Earth), among other divinities of the natural world. They achieved remarkable territorial expansion and left a historical legacy.
Amidst this great legacy stands the imposing sanctuary.
“Some 3,000 to 4,000 people were needed, among them prisoners of war, called piñas, and populations separated from their communities and enslaved by the Inca, known as the mitimaes,” notes the historian from San Marcos, Juan Carlos Hidalgo, about the construction of Machu Picchu. It took an extraordinary effort to gather the rocks that the same Huayna Picchu mountain provided for them and to build the structure that would essentially become the royal retreat of the Inca and a shrine to the Sun God.
The irrigation of the complex also came from the mountain overlooking it, since water from the clouds is collected in its heights and then descends along the many streams.
The construction of Machu Picchu was ordered by the Inca Pachacútec, but it would remain unfinished due to the arrival of the Spaniards. After centuries, it was rediscovered by the American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911.
Navel of the world
The name “Machu Picchu” means “Old Mountain” in Quechua, while Cusco, capital of the Inca Empire, comes from the word Qosco which means “navel of the world”. The Incas saw the Imperial City as the center of the universe in relation to their gods, and millions of travelers who visit Machu Picchu every year share this view. One of the first questions they ask when they climb the complex is whether the Inca ruler lived there permanently. “That was not the case,” explains Hidalgo, “Machu Picchu basically fulfilled two functions: it was a house where the Inca could rest and at the same time a sanctuary in honor of the Sun God. Hence the choice of the Urubamba Valley: a secluded place (while still close to Cusco) where the Inca could be in touch with the Hanan Pacha or World Above.
Illustrious visitors
Many figures from the world of culture and entertainment have succumbed to the magic of Machu Picchu over the years. These include the American singer Cole Porter (who was there in 1939), Pablo Neruda (1943), Ernesto Che Guevara (1952) and more recently Zac Efron, Ricky Martin, Juanes, Cameron Diaz, Owen Wilson and Jim Carrey.
A few years ago, the Game of Thrones actress, Emilia Clarke, also expressed her desire to see the historic sanctuary. “I want to go to Machu Picchu in Peru,” confessed the well-known Daenerys Targaryen in an interview with Zimbio.
Everyone will be welcome once the borders are opened.
Getting there
First, you have to go to Cusco. Once travel is allowed, you can take a flight from Lima. Flight time is approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. Or you can travel by bus. The journey takes about twenty hours from the capital. Once in Cusco, you have to travel another 1 hour and 45 minutes to Ollantaytambo, and 2 hours more from there by train to Machu Picchu.
Recommendations
It is important to reserve the tickets or the tour in advance. The best season to go to Machu Picchu is between April and October, which is the dry season. It is recommended that you take warm clothes and pills to prevent altitude sickness.
Source: peru.travel / PromPerú