13 Fascinating Insights About Machu Picchu

Perched high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, near the edge of the Amazon Basin, the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu has amazed and mystified travelers ever since its discovery over a century ago by a driven Yale scholar.

The creators of Machu Picchu governed an expansive empire.

Originating in the Cusco region of Peru during the 13th century, the Inca civilization expanded to control a vast portion of South America, becoming the largest empire in the Americas. Led by an emperor, or Sapa Inca, believed to be a descendant of the sun god, the Inca integrated numerous tribes across a 300,000-square-mile territory, forming a sophisticated empire with a population ranging from 3 to 12 million. Known as Tahuantinsuyu, or “the four regions united,” their domain featured 20,000 miles of roads, regional administrators, storage facilities, advanced high-altitude farming, and an economic system called mit'a, where citizens contributed labor, goods, or military service to the empire in return for sustenance and security.

The true purpose of the site remains a mystery.

Often described as both a sacred sanctuary and a fortified citadel, Machu Picchu was built around the mid-15th century, potentially under the orders of Pachacuti, the Sapa Inca who conquered the Chancay tribe and transformed the Cusco kingdom into the expansive Inca empire. For over a century, scholars, archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians have debated the reasons behind its construction. Some argue it served as a royal getaway for Pachacuti (whose name translates to “he who shakes the earth”), a theory bolstered by a 16th-century legal document found in Cusco’s archives, where Pachacuti’s heirs sought to reclaim lands, including a retreat named Picchu, located in an area resembling Machu Picchu.

Others propose it was a pilgrimage destination to celebrate the origins of the Inca religion, or perhaps a blend of a spiritual and administrative estate situated in a sacred setting. The discovery of nearby graves once led to speculation that Machu Picchu was a convent for the Virgins of the Sun, young girls chosen from villages to serve in temples and possibly used in human sacrifices. However, this theory has been largely dismissed, as subsequent analysis of the skeletons revealed an equal number of males and females, suggesting they were laborers at the site.

Spanish colonizers never discovered Machu Picchu.

The Inca empire was forever changed by the arrival of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1532, who described the kingdom as “so beautiful and with such magnificent structures it would stand out even in Spain.” Pizarro and his troops ambushed, captured, and eventually killed Inca ruler Atahualpa; looted much of the empire’s wealth, and demolished numerous temples and estates. Despite years of guerrilla resistance from hidden strongholds, the Spanish suppressed the final rebellion in 1572 but never discovered Machu Picchu, which had been abandoned by the Inca just a century after its construction and remained hidden and undisturbed for over 200 years.

It was incorrectly referred to as “the lost city of the Inca.”

In 1911, Yale historian Hiram Bingham III embarked on a quest to locate the legendary city of Vilcabamba, where emperor Manco Inca had led a revolt against Pizarro and the Spanish. Manco’s forces initially settled in the fortress city Ollantaytambo before retreating to locations unknown to the Spanish, first at Vitcos and then Vilcabamba. During his search, Bingham first explored the ruins at Ollantaytambo, then discovered those at Vitcos and Vilcabamba, before seeking the “lost city” established by Manco Inca—unaware that he had already encountered the true lost city of Vilcabamba, which was engulfed by the jungle and known as Espiritu Pampa.

Guided by a local named Melchor Arteaga and a young boy, Bingham explored the mountains above the Urubamba River valley and uncovered the ruins of Machu Picchu, meaning “old peak” in Quechua, which were virtually unknown to outsiders. For decades, Bingham insisted that Machu Picchu and Vilcabamba were the same. This claim was ultimately debunked by writer and explorer Gene Savoy’s rediscovery of the true Vilcabamba in the 1960s.

The discovery brought Hiram Bingham widespread fame.

Bingham revisited Machu Picchu for exploration and excavation in 1912, 1914, and 1915, supported by Yale and the National Geographic Society. His 1913 article “In the Wonderland of Peru,” which filled an entire issue of National Geographic, propelled both him and Machu Picchu into global prominence. Later, he authored Inca Land (1922) and his most renowned work, Lost City of the Incas, a bestseller upon its 1948 release that may have influenced the creation of Indiana Jones. The road from Cusco to Machu Picchu, inaugurated in 1948, is named the Hiram Bingham Highway, and a plaque honoring Bingham stands at the site’s entrance. After his academic and exploratory career, Bingham served as a pilot in World War I and was elected Connecticut’s governor in 1924. He resigned after one day to occupy a U.S. Senate seat vacated by a deceased legislator and was re-elected for a full term in 1926.

Yale and Peru engaged in disputes over artifacts.

After their final return to the United States and Yale University, Bingham and his team transported thousands of artifacts from Machu Picchu, including statues, pottery, jewelry, and even mummies. When Yale planned a traveling exhibition in 2003, it sparked renewed controversy over the ownership of these artifacts, leading to a 2008 lawsuit against the university. Peruvian President Alan Garcia and the Peruvian public campaigned for the artifacts’ return, appealing to figures ranging from President Obama to the Vatican. In 2010, both parties reached a memorandum of understanding, and the final artifacts were returned to South America in 2012. A collaborative effort between Peru and Yale established the UNSAAC-Yale International Center for the Study of Machu Picchu and Inca Culture in Cusco.

Bingham might not have been the first Westerner to visit Machu Picchu.

Researchers suggest that a German businessman named Augusto Berns explored the region with Peruvian government approval long before Bingham arrived. Berns reportedly acquired land in the 1860s, operating a sawmill to extract gold and timber, but later focused on plundering treasures from Machu Picchu. Additionally, a British missionary named Thomas Payne and another German are believed to have discovered the site before Bingham. An 1874 map containing references to Machu Picchu (the hill, not necessarily the ruins) may have provided Bingham with hints about the Inca city’s existence and location. Furthermore, in 1565, Diego Rodriguez de Figueroa mentioned a bridge near his location that led to “Picho”—likely one of the earliest written references to the site, though there’s no evidence he visited it himself.

The Inca were unparalleled in masonry and engineering.

Despite being located in a seismically active area, Machu Picchu has withstood the earthquakes that have ravaged cities such as Lima and Cusco. This resilience is largely due to the exceptional skills of the stonemasons and engineers who constructed the city. Deep foundations and an advanced drainage system prevented landslides, while the precisely carved stones fit together so tightly that no mortar was needed. The white granite blocks, shaped by direct hammering using basic hand tools, are known to “move” during quakes and then settle back into place, ensuring the citadel has remained largely intact for over 500 years.

The entire site is deeply connected to spirituality.

The Inca worshipped not only the sun but also other natural elements like the moon, rivers, and mountains. Mountains, known as apus, held particular significance due to their proximity to Inca cities and settlements. The peaks of Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu (meaning “new peak”), and Mount Salcantay were all aligned with the sacred Intihuatana Stone, a 6-foot granite structure near the city’s main square that likely served as a solar clock or calendar. Other notable religious or ceremonial structures include the Temple of the Three Windows and the Temple of the Sun, which features a window that aligns perfectly during the summer solstice.

Hikers can discover a hidden temple.

At the summit of Huayna Picchu, accessible to only 400 visitors daily, lies a hidden cave called Templo de la Luna, or the Temple of the Moon. Believed to have been a ceremonial site for mummies, the temple is located along a trail winding around the 679-foot peak and showcases elaborate stonework, arched niches carved into the rock, six tiers, and a stone throne.

The daily number of visitors is legally restricted.

Machu Picchu was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, and its popularity has soared, attracting over 1 million visitors annually before the COVID-19 pandemic. Officially, no more than 4500 tourists are permitted daily, but this limit rises to 5600 during the summer high season and holidays.

Nudity is strictly prohibited for tourists.

The 2010s trend of tourists stripping or posing nude at Machu Picchu concerned Peruvian authorities. In 2014 alone, eight tourists, including four Americans, were fined for nudity within a single week, despite clear warnings on tickets banning such behavior. The Ministry of Culture described these incidents as “unfortunate actions that endanger cultural heritage.” Now, foreign visitors must hire a guide and follow a designated path through the site.

Machu Picchu is a restricted airspace.

In May 2014, Peruvian President Ollanta Humala sparked controversy by taking a reconnaissance flight around Machu Picchu, an area that has been closed to aircraft since 2006. Although the government initially allowed tourism companies to provide helicopter tours around the citadel, environmentalists raised concerns about the impact on species like the Andean condor, spectacled bear, and vicuna. As a result, the Transport and Communications Ministry revoked the decision just a week later.