Considered as one of the greatest legacies of the Inca empire and chosen as one of the 7 wonders of the modern world, Machu Pichu, is without a doubt, one of the places that no one can stop visiting. Source of inspiration for those who visit, this magnificent citadel hidden among the mountains hides some mysteries about its construction and the relevance it had in the Inca culture. Therefore, if you plan to travel to discover it or simply learn about it, you will find it interesting to know some details or curious facts about Machu Pichu.
We must begin by knowing that the meaning of its name in the Quechua word is “old mountain”, and that although it is very old, the archaeologist Hiram Bingham made it known in 1911. From that moment on, the world was surprised with these 140 imposing structures that are located 2400 meters above sea level in the mountains of Peru, and occupy a total area of 325.92 square kilometres.
This set of structures forms a citadel framed in a beautiful natural setting of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu; that are part of the orographic formation “Batolito de Vilcabamba”, in the Peruvian Andes. We are going to know more curiosities about Machu Pichu:
The Spaniards never found it: It is estimated that these structures were built in the mid-1400s, but the Spaniards in their process of colonization did not stumble upon the lost city of the Incas, until in 1911 their discoverer, Hiram Bingham, arrived immediately made it known. But it was not until 1983 when it was included in the UNESCO list of cultural heritage. In addition, on July 7, 2007, Machu Pichu was chosen as one of the new 7 wonders of the world, in a ceremony where one hundred million voters from all over the world participated.
The difficult access requires extra effort: Its 400-meter drop makes it practically in a very steep ravine in the Urubamba province of Cusco. Something that hinders access to Machu Pichu but is well worth the effort, so you will have to be there to understand it.
The incredible thing about its construction: The stones used for the construction of the Machu Picchu structures, have a weight of approximately 55 tons, which is surprising. Because, it is inexplicable how they climbed them with their own hands through such a complex mountain, unless they have made the carvings directly on the mountain; through a technique called ashlar. Which is a perfect precision stone carving; that at that time it is unlikely that it was known. It is good to ask then, how was it built? Well this remains a mystery.
The fog and the ghosts: It is said that the thick fog, covers Machu Pichu every day for several hours, but, in addition, some people also say that at night the ghosts have chased away many, who hear the screams and voices that they come from everywhere.
The mysterious reasons why the Incas abandoned it: The Incas when leaving Machu Pichu did not leave any written record, so there are no verifiable reasons for their abandonment. But it is known that they inhabited this place only for 100 years, and it was abandoned approximately at the time of the Spanish conquest. However, some experts on the subject believe that the reason for the abandonment was a smallpox outbreak, but this is not certain; reason why until now there are no totally valid explanations.
The Yale University lawsuit: This famous university in the United States has had a lawsuit for many years with the government of Peru; Since the latter claimed 5,000 objects found by Hiram Bingham, when making the archaeological find at Machu Pichu.
The wonderful structural engineering of the Incas: Despite the time when Machu Pichu was built, the Incas managed to apply such effective techniques and methods that they provided security and stability to these structures, designing and building 600 terraces, which prevent the structure collapse on the side of the mountain.
Amazing road system: In its construction, communication systems were also taken into account, they built several roads that connect other regions of Peru with Machu Picchu, over 10,000 miles. In which there are bridges to paved roads in the mountains.
A clock for the operation of the structure: There are 3 basic parts in Machu Pichu, according to archaeological studies; that they have been differentiated as the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three Windows and the Intihuatana; which works like an astronomical clock and calendar.
Anti-seismic structures: The engineering used by the Incas allowed them to build very resistant structures against earthquakes; even more stable than many built today with the most advanced technology, which makes us wonder once more how did they do it? This is a mystery that has not yet been explained.
Machu Picchu in the mecca of cinema: One of the few films that got permission to be shot at Machu Pichu, was “Robot”; and it caused a whole problem, because one of the cranes used in the filming damaged part of the structure, which turned into a real scandal.
ALFA