Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu (Quechua: Machu Pikchu spoken [mɑtʃu piktʃu], for "old peak") is a well-preserved ruins of the Inca, in 2360 meters altitude on a mountain above the Urubamba Valley in the Andean region of Peru in Cusco, 75 kilometers away northwest lies the city of Cusco.

General
The city contains 216 stone buildings, which were associated with a system of stairways. About 3,000 steps are still preserved, as well as the outer part of the multi-storey residential buildings. The purpose of this city are still controversial. There are over they have no traditions or scientific records, so only guesses can be made. More than 50 tombs have been discovered with more than 100 skeletons (reportedly more than 80 percent of them female, but recent studies have shown an equal distribution of sexes). Due to this discovery, initially developed the theory of a refuge of the Incas. More recently, this theory is no longer supported. Rather, it is assumed that Machu Picchu at the time of the Spanish conquest was still under construction. Since the construction work, but by the conquest of the Inca empire by the Spaniards could not be continued, was to leave the facility and then with the Indians has fallen into oblivion. Today it is estimated that the city had in its heyday can accommodate up to 1,000 people and supplies. The city, whose original name is unknown, was named after a nearby mountain peaks, between which lies the ruined city: Parts of the city, which are used for farming terraces at the foot of the "old peak" behind the other end of town extends the "young peak" (Huayna Picchu) sugarloaf in the sky. In the southeast lie about 15 kilometers from the ruins of the Inca city Llactapata.