The magical experience that is Machu Picchu

The Inca people originally came from the island of the Sun on Lake Titicaca, this is where Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo traveled northward  to Cusco where conditions for living and agriculture were more favorable. 

Machu Picchu was built as a refuge for elite members of Inca aristocracy about 80 miles (130 km) from the erstwhile capital Cusco, on a 2,430-meter mountain ridge by the 9th and greatest ruler Pachacútec Inca Yapanqui (1430 – 1478) after he conquered the Chanca.  The Urubamba River flows past it, cutting through the Cordillera mountains and creating a canyon with a tropical mountain climate. 

Short 360 degree video

In the Quechua language, Machu Picchu means “Old Mountain” which is one of the peaks towering over the citadel. The local name for citadel is Patallaqta - or more accurately Llaqta Pata - which comes from two words in Quechua, Pata which meaning steps, and Llaqta meaning town. Strategically surrounded by steep cliffs and away from the sight of strangers in a tangled forest, it has only one narrow entrance so that only a few warriors were needed to defend it and prevent a surprise attack.

This site was an important and sacred place to the entire Tahuantinsuyo (Inca Empire) but access to the sanctuary was restricted to only the elite few royalty, shamans and top military echelon.  

Ashlar construction

Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls that were quarried in-situ. The technique of hewing stones from quarries, polishing it and building without mortar is known as ashlar. The Inca knew this technique would be more durable in this earthquake prone area. They pounded the stones into shape using bronze tools and harder stones from nearby quarries. You will not find adobe or bricks in Machu Picchu.

Today there is evidence of approximately 180 structures (roughly 75% of the original) set on a steep ridge, crisscrossed by stone terraces. Roughly 40% construction is above grade, the remaining 60% consists of subterranean crushed rock foundation and water drainage systems. All buildings were one-storied, though some buildings might have housed an attic. Not all of them feature windows, but those that have windows, use a trapezoidal shape for stability during earthquakes. For the same reason the walls are usually slanted, with rounded corners and L-shaped support elements. 

The roofs would probably have been very steep (about 60 degrees) as it rains a lot. The Inca were masters of gravity fed water channels. Hidden out of sight is a perfect drainage system that still works today with channels crisscross the whole complex to carry away the water during the perennial heavy rainfalls.

The design of terraces helped create minute microclimates on the different levels so that staple crops like coca leaves, quinoa, corn, and potatoes could be grown. The retaining walks had gaps filled with sand to allow for the gradual drainage of water forming a natural irrigation system. 

The three primary structures are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. The largest rocks were reserved for these structures. How exactly these were cut remain a mystery without the use of iron tools, draft animals or the benefit of the wheel but one idea suggests they used nature fissures and used a sandy slurry and wooden wedges to crack it open. Sometimes you will find niches – used to place holy objects, sacred offerings or mummies of the ancestors.

Pachamama (Mother Earth) was a goddess that symbolized the fertility and the harvest. There’s one ritual that celebrates the importance of the soil, it’s called Challa Tuesdays, that includes several rituals like pouring the first fee sips of Chicha (fermented corn beer) the ancient and sacred beverage, on Mother Earth before the rest of the Chicha is shared between the persons who participate on the ritual.

Inti (Sun) The almighty god and Father is the principal benefactor of all living creatures. Without the sun there would be no day. Inca Mythology the sun was made of gold, so a lot of jewelry and gold ornaments show that. 

The number three held special significance to the Inca. They celebrated three worlds: one each for the land of the dead, living and spiritual. 

• Ukhu (or Urin) Pacha (The world of the dead): According to the Incan Mythology, this is the world where all people go to their final destination. In Machu Picchu has been found many caves, and inside the caves are mummies that belong to this world.
• Kay Pacha (The world of the present): This is where the people live; the present is just a stage, a place where you’re only passing by. Machu Picchu was built to perform as a small city, so the people can live quiet and peaceful.
• Hana Pacha (The world up there): This is the world that belongs to the sky, the heavenly world. It was made to the principal and most important gods that lived there (The Sun, The Moon and the Mother Earth). In the Plaza Sagrada (Sanctuary) there are several place where the gods were worshiped, like the Intihuatana, with the solar clock that shows no shadow at 12 noon on both summer and winter solstices, celebrated the cult of the Sun, the Temple of the Moon (the partner of the Sun), Grupo de las Tres Portadas (building with 3 portals) and Grupo del Cóndor. Only the fair people can live in the Hanan Pacha, the path that led to this place was by crossing a bridge that was reputedly made of hair.

Harmony and balance in the Inca life. To all ancient cultures, there’s got to be a good and appropriate balance between the nature and the environment (day-night, up-down, and life-death) 

After three generations, Machu Picchu was mysteriously abandoned most likely because the approach routes leading there were prohibited for anyone who was not part of the small circle of elite Inca, that knowledge of the grand city simple faded from historical memory with the fall of the Inca empire at the hands of Pizzaro’s conquistadors. 

On July 24th, 1911 the 'rediscovery' of Machu Picchu was made by the controversial anthropologist, historian, explorer, amateur archeologist and Yale University professor Hiram Bingham when in fact he was looking for Vilcabamba (or the city of Espíritu Pampa), the last stand jungle of the Vilcabamba Inca rebellion in circa 1572, some 40 years after the conquistadors first embarked on their campaign under Francisco Pizarro.  

Hardly anyone talks about Agustín Lizárraga. Truth be told, the names of Enrique Palma, Gabino Sánchez, and Agustín Lizarraga were found dated July 14th, 1901 on one of the walls of the Temple of the Three Windows. This was subsequently erased. It was rumors of Lizarraga that Bingham heard in Cusco, which finally brought him to the area and with the help of local families 'rediscovered' Machu Picchu. We now know it was never truly lost. Turns out Bingham actually found an indigenous farmer named Anacleto who had been living there for eight years and leased the property known as Q-property for 12 soles annually.

Immediately on seeing this marvellous site, Bingham understood the enormous historical value of the ruins discovered and contacted Yale University, the National Geographic Society and the Peruvian government, requesting sponsorship to start the studies in the Inca archaeological site. 

In 1913, National Geographic magazine published an extensive article about Machu Picchu and the ongoing research being done, thus revealing the Inca structure to an international audience for the first time.

The rest, they say, is history. Machu Picchu was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983, and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, becoming Peru’s most visited attraction and South America’s most famous ruins.

Pro tip: Remember to check out the Museo de Sitio Manuel Chávez Ballón ($7 entry) located at the end of a long dirt road near the base of Machu Picchu, about a 30-minute walk from Pueblo Macho Picchu (aka Aguas Calientes).

Special shout out to: Rylee McGowan who helped us plan our trip. You can reach her at Peru For Less - https://www.peruforless.com/ta-bios/rylee-bio.html