Machu Picchu in Peru
August 17th 2007 08:22
An Agence France-Presse dispatch from Lisbon, Portugal says that nearly 100 million Internet and telephone voters selected the new seven wonders of the world. One of these is the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru.
High in the Peruvian Andes, the citadel of Machu Picchu appears suspended in mountain mists. Perched precariously on a rocky outcrop with huge drops either side, this city of a long-dead race eluded discovery until the 20th century, some 400 years after its downfall. Travel records indicated that today, a traveler in Peru can make the 60-mile or 96-kilometer journey from the city of Cuzco to Machu Picchu in just a few hours by train and bus.
Historical records reveal that in 1911, the American historian and archaeologist Hiram Bingham toiled for five days along the valley of the River Urubamba before reaching now famous ruins. He believed that he had discovered the Inca stronghold of Vilcabamba - a city that had been razed to the ground during the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in 1572. Bingham's party chanced upon Machu Picchu largely by luck. They had made camp in a river canyon where they met a farmer who told them of the remains of an ancient city on a nearby mountain called Machu Picchu ('old peak'). Although skeptical, the next day Bingham and his party followed the farmer up the mountain through dense jungle. Near the top, 2,000 feet (610 meters) above the valley floor, they came across a stone-faced terrace hundreds of yards long and, beyond it, walls of pure white blocks of granite, covered in thick vegetation but remarkable nonetheless for their exquisite workmanship. Bingham's party found Machu Picchu to be an extraordinary place, "not least because the people who built it did not possess iron tools, draught animals or, indeed, the wheel."
Sited on a ridge between the two mountains of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu, the city has magnificent natural defenses. Records show that the steep cliffs allow for spectacular views of the narrow valley of the River Urubamba, along which enemies would have had to pass to reach the Inca capital, Cuzco, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) away. The strategic implications of the site were exploited to the full, as might be expected from a people who carved an empire comparable in size to that of the Romans.
Machu Picchu was founded some time during the 15th century and probably had about 1,000 inhabitants, including priests, noblemen, and workmen. Inca society was highly structured and hierarchical, each person having rigidly defined responsibilities, rights, and privileges.
Records further reveal that the Incas probably abandoned Machu Picchu before the Spaniards' arrival at the capital, Cuzco, in 1572, but the cause of the sudden evacuation is unknown. Wars among rival Inca tribes were common, and in some cases resulted in the annihilation of entire communities; this, or a devastating epidemic, may have been the reason for the city's desertion. Perhaps it was ravaged by a plague so terrible it was permanently quarantined by the authorities. The abandonment of Machu Picchu may forever remain a mystery, but the enigma continues to fuel an intense fascination with that ruined city - one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the world.
The AFP-Lisbon report says that "hundreds (of Peruvians) gathered at 2,430 meters (7,970 feet) to greet the announcement that the ruins of Machu Picchu where they were standing on had been voted one of the 'new' wonders of the world. Thousands more cheered and hugged each other in Cuzco, 70 km to the southeast of the ruins after cafe and restaurant televisions beamed the result." After the announcement, Trade and Tourism Minister Mercedes Araoz told reporters: "The selection of Machu Picchu is an example of what Peruvians can achieve when we unite," referring to the Peruvians' solid voting in favor of the "new world marvel."
High in the Peruvian Andes, the citadel of Machu Picchu appears suspended in mountain mists. Perched precariously on a rocky outcrop with huge drops either side, this city of a long-dead race eluded discovery until the 20th century, some 400 years after its downfall. Travel records indicated that today, a traveler in Peru can make the 60-mile or 96-kilometer journey from the city of Cuzco to Machu Picchu in just a few hours by train and bus.
Historical records reveal that in 1911, the American historian and archaeologist Hiram Bingham toiled for five days along the valley of the River Urubamba before reaching now famous ruins. He believed that he had discovered the Inca stronghold of Vilcabamba - a city that had been razed to the ground during the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in 1572. Bingham's party chanced upon Machu Picchu largely by luck. They had made camp in a river canyon where they met a farmer who told them of the remains of an ancient city on a nearby mountain called Machu Picchu ('old peak'). Although skeptical, the next day Bingham and his party followed the farmer up the mountain through dense jungle. Near the top, 2,000 feet (610 meters) above the valley floor, they came across a stone-faced terrace hundreds of yards long and, beyond it, walls of pure white blocks of granite, covered in thick vegetation but remarkable nonetheless for their exquisite workmanship. Bingham's party found Machu Picchu to be an extraordinary place, "not least because the people who built it did not possess iron tools, draught animals or, indeed, the wheel."
Sited on a ridge between the two mountains of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu, the city has magnificent natural defenses. Records show that the steep cliffs allow for spectacular views of the narrow valley of the River Urubamba, along which enemies would have had to pass to reach the Inca capital, Cuzco, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) away. The strategic implications of the site were exploited to the full, as might be expected from a people who carved an empire comparable in size to that of the Romans.
Machu Picchu was founded some time during the 15th century and probably had about 1,000 inhabitants, including priests, noblemen, and workmen. Inca society was highly structured and hierarchical, each person having rigidly defined responsibilities, rights, and privileges.
Records further reveal that the Incas probably abandoned Machu Picchu before the Spaniards' arrival at the capital, Cuzco, in 1572, but the cause of the sudden evacuation is unknown. Wars among rival Inca tribes were common, and in some cases resulted in the annihilation of entire communities; this, or a devastating epidemic, may have been the reason for the city's desertion. Perhaps it was ravaged by a plague so terrible it was permanently quarantined by the authorities. The abandonment of Machu Picchu may forever remain a mystery, but the enigma continues to fuel an intense fascination with that ruined city - one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the world.
The AFP-Lisbon report says that "hundreds (of Peruvians) gathered at 2,430 meters (7,970 feet) to greet the announcement that the ruins of Machu Picchu where they were standing on had been voted one of the 'new' wonders of the world. Thousands more cheered and hugged each other in Cuzco, 70 km to the southeast of the ruins after cafe and restaurant televisions beamed the result." After the announcement, Trade and Tourism Minister Mercedes Araoz told reporters: "The selection of Machu Picchu is an example of what Peruvians can achieve when we unite," referring to the Peruvians' solid voting in favor of the "new world marvel."
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Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
This is another place in the world I would love to go to,
Byeee
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
Like Tracy I would love to trek the Inca trail one day. It must be an amazing sight.
You can just imagine the joy of the people when they heard that it had been voted in.
ash
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Comment by Bernadette
Article Dime
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Yes, maybe one day both of you might be there soon. Who knows?
Bernadette
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Comment by Stanley