Machu Picchu’s Ancient Beauty
The “lost city of the Incas” has captivated visitors with its magnificent setting and detailed stonework
- By Jess Blumberg
- Smithsonian magazine, January 2008, Subscribe
Machu Picchu, the royal retreat of the Incan emperor Pachacuti, sits atop the Urubamba Valley in Peru. Meaning "Old Mountain" in the Quechua Indian language, the complex was constructed in the 15th century as a place for the emperor and his retinue to relax, hunt or entertain foreign dignitaries.
The site also boasts Huayna Picchu Mountain, which looms nearly 1,000 feet above terraces, plazas and stone ruins as mists swirl up from the Urubamba River. After the Spanish conquest in 1532, jungle growth enveloped the structures and temples. In 1911, Yale historian Hiram Bingham stumbled upon the "lost city of the Incas." Since then, its magnificent setting and detailed stonework have captivated countless visitors.
There is never a wrong time to see Machu Picchu, but the ideal moment to experience the vista is during the rise of the Inca's most powerful deity, the sun. (Spend the night in Aguas Calientes, at the base of Machu Picchu, to catch the sunrise.) Photographer Ruth M. Wright, who has studied Machu Picchu for 30 years and co-authored The Machu Picchu Guidebook: A Self-Guided Tour, says the best view is from the Guardhouse, where a visitor can anticipate the sun with nothing more than a llama grazing in the distance. "As the golden rays slip down Huayna Picchu, the buildings on the ridge below start to emerge from the shadows until Machu Picchu is presented in all its glory," she says. "It is a breathtaking, almost spiritual experience, and one you will never forget."
Subscribe now for more of Smithsonian's coverage on history, science and nature.
Related topics: Travel Inca Machu Picchu
| Tweet | Digg |
Comments (10)
I am experiencing trouble in opening some of the photos. The coverage is really fantastic.
Posted by Milton Schwartz on December 2,2011 | 04:29 PM
There are several places I would like to see, Machu Picchu being one.I would like to see more information on the affects of the altitude on those with COPD. What is reccommended? Can walking or climbing be circumvented in any instances? I guess I'm looking for a miracle.
Posted by Martha DePriest on August 31,2009 | 04:21 PM
I had the good fortune to visit MP in 1972, including climbing to the top of Huayna Picchu despite being there only one day. There were people there but not the crowds described today. Only a few trekked up HP. This was one of the most profound geographic experiences of my life. I wish I could do it again ... but not with crowds thank you.
Posted by William Lippincott on October 23,2008 | 01:06 AM
Yes, I guess they should. Mass tourism is for places like Las Vegas, not the "Old Peak". I recommend to hike the Inca trail, you'll get there before the crowd of tourists, early in the morning and the whole city is yours... :)
Posted by Machu Picchu Fan on May 25,2008 | 04:18 AM
Machu Picchu is a great place to visit, but I guess there are to many of us curious enthusiastic fans :) The ancient citadel is being negatively affected by mass tourism. Shouldn't they impose limitations? Like: raise ticket prices, limit the period of visit or even impose restrictions on what type of shoes we enter with? http://www.rediscovermachupicchu.com
Posted by Kyle on March 22,2008 | 02:35 PM
I think Paris is overrated. Nothing nice about that place. Just another dirty big city, with a large needle in the sky. Rome, I think, is way better. Machu Picchu is amazing, however, I thought it was in danger of falling off the mountain side? Isn't it closed to outside visitors?
Posted by David Ho on January 14,2008 | 03:44 PM
I'm sure Machu Picchu is just as awe-inspiring as described, and I realize that the items on this list tried to encompass a wide variety of wonders, but I must put my two cents worth in for Chichen Itza. My husband and I went there for our honeymoon and arrived at midday (hardly a spiritual hour!). I was hot, tired, and cross, as I really wanted to spend the day on the beach not trekking across "boring old ruins." This was my husband's idea. But when we broke through the trees and stepped into the courtyard surrounding the actual pyramid, I broke down into tears. I was filled with a profound awe; I could almost feel the weight of the ages around me, taste it in the air. I've been to Paris and seen all the magnificent architecture there, as well as the art in the Louvre, but nothing moved me like my first sight of Chichen Itza.
Posted by Teresa Baker on January 10,2008 | 10:25 AM
Please send me info. on the next visit to machu picchu in 2008. I am interested in attending. Thank you. Richard Gill
Posted by Richard Gill on December 31,2007 | 03:36 PM
I would be interested in taking a tour of the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu in our late summer or early fall. What is available then? Please advise. Thank you. JW Tudisco
Posted by Joseph W Tudisco on December 28,2007 | 05:27 PM
Please mail me information on tours to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands (especially your Collette value tours). Thank you.
Posted by Kate Milley on December 27,2007 | 10:05 AM