Historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu

The Historic Sanctuary - National Archaeological Park of Machupicchu (SHM-PANM) is a cultural and natural area inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. With an area of ​​37302 hectares, it is one of the areas with the greatest biodiversity in Peru and houses more than 60 archaeological monuments articulated through a complex network of Inka roads.

The most important monument of SHM-PANM is the llaqta or Inka City of Machupicchu, which was planned and built around 1450 A.D. during the Inka Pachakuti government. The work demanded the participation of specialists in architecture, engineering and astronomy, in addition to a large number of labor. More than 50% of the effort required in its construction was used in the preparation of the land, foundation and drainage system. Its construction responds to the need of the Inka State to have a religious, political and administrative center within a sacred space considered the link between the Andes and the Amazon.
The llaqta of Machupicchu was abandoned during the second half of the 16th century; however, it was never lost since it was visited and occasionally inhabited. There are colonial documents that refer to the llaqta of Machupicchu as the "Seat of the Incas" or the "Old Town of the Inga Named Guaynapicchu." In 1874, the engineer Herman Göhring produced a cartographic document in which they are presented for the first time place names "Machu Picchu" and "Huaina Picchu." In 1911, Professor Hiram Bingham visited the llaqta and was impressed with its beauty and majesty. The following year, he returned with a multidisciplinary team of professionals who conducted excavations and research in the area.
Since the 1930s, the Peruvian State has been promoting research, conservation and enhancement of the Historic Sanctuary and the Machupicchu llaqta, which represents a masterpiece of art, architecture and engineering in perfect harmony with nature and is the most important legacy of the Inka civilization to humanity.

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