The enigmatic and breath taking Machu Pichu in Peru

If you want to time travel, there is no better place than Peru’s awe-inspiring ancient complex of Machu Picchu.

The Machu Picchu ruins of the Inca civilization are the most beautiful and mysterious ancient sites in the whole of Latin America and were rediscovered in by an archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911. The Inca populace erected thousand structures of stone on top of the Andes Mountain from the early 14th century and considered it a sacred place. Machu Picchu means Old Peak in the language of the Incas. It is both an aesthetic and architectural marvel.

There are many legends surrounding this site which is an extraordinary ancient city. It is believed that Machu Picchu Peru was a self sufficient community with much of the area being utilized as agricultural terraces to grow food for its population. These ruins have palaces, temples, unique baths, storage areas and more than a hundred houses still well preserved even after centuries.

A lot of cues point towards this city being used by the Inca people for secret ceremonies as this self contained colony is invisible from below and situated at a remote high point of the mountain range.

There is much speculation about the religious or social utilization of Machu Picchu Peru by the Incas. It is said that astronomical observations were the main function of the site of Machu Picchu and the presence of the Intihuatana stone that indicates important celestial revelations, proves this more strongly. This astonishing site was perhaps chosen for geological features and distinct location. It is believed that the mountain’s silhouette, on which the site is built, is symbolic of the Inca god.

Machu Picchu Peru received a lot of media hype when National Geographic magazine published an entire issue on it in 1913. Since then it has remained popular among researchers and tourists. It is also considered one of the wonders of the New World.

Are you headed to Machu Picchu in Peru yet?