Places & Landmarks
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a fifteenth-century Inca settlement set high in Peru's Andes within a protected mountain and tropical-forest landscape.
Machu Picchu is a fifteenth-century Inca settlement in Peru, positioned about 2,430 meters above sea level where the Andes meet the upper Amazon Basin. Its stone buildings, terraces, ramps, plazas, paths, and water systems were carefully integrated into a steep mountain ridge.
UNESCO describes roughly 200 structures associated with religious, ceremonial, astronomical, agricultural, residential, and administrative uses. The settlement was abandoned during the sixteenth-century Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, but the surrounding sanctuary continues to preserve both major archaeological remains and unusually diverse natural habitats.
Quick facts
- Machu Picchu stands about 2,430 meters above sea level in Peru.
- The Inca settlement was built during the fifteenth century.
- UNESCO identifies approximately 200 structures within the archaeological center.
- Stone terraces helped organize steep slopes for construction and agricultural use.
- The Historic Sanctuary protects both cultural remains and natural habitats between the Andes and the Amazon Basin.
A surprising fact
Machu Picchu is designated a mixed World Heritage property because UNESCO recognizes both its cultural importance and its natural environment.