“Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca site located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level. It is located in the Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, Machupicchu District in Peru. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Sacred Valley which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often mistakenly referred to as the “Lost City of the Incas”, it is the most familiar icon of Inca civilization. The Incas built the estate around 1450, but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction. Most of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed in order to give tourists a better idea of what the structures originally looked like. By 1976, thirty percent of Machu Picchu had been restored. The restoration work continues to this day.

Since the site was not known to the Spanish during the colonial period, it is highly significant as a relatively intact cultural site. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide Internet poll. Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its three primary structures are the Inti Watana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. These are located in what is known by archaeologists as the Sacred District of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is vulnerable to threats. While natural phenomena like earthquakes and weather systems can play havoc with access, the site also suffers from the pressures of too many tourists. In addition, preservation of the area's cultural and archaeological heritage is an ongoing concern”. – Wikipedia

An alpaca is seen near the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is Peru's top tourist attraction, with the government limiting tourists to 2,500 per day due to safety reasons and concerns over the preservation of the ruins. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

The peak of Huayna Picchu, the mountain rising above the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, is seen in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

A general view of the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is seen in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

A visitor walks at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

A visitor walks at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

Northern viscachas peek out from rocks stand on a rock at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

Visitors view a rainbow at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

A general view of the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is seen in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

Terraces are seen next to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

Visitor take photos with their mobile phones at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

Workers take part in restoration tasks at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

An ancient wall is seen at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

A general view of the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is seen in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

An ancient wall is seen at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

A visitor takes photos at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

An ancient wall is seen at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

A visitor climbs the steps at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

Andean terraces are seen at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

A visitor touches the Intihuatana solar clock, believed to generate “good energy”, at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

Llamas are seen in front of the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco December 2, 2014. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)