In my post “Machu Picchu–A Practical View” I explained the logistics of our visit. In this post I’ll share some of the photos of this incredible engineering marvel, hidden for centuries (thank goodness!) from the world’s view. A North American archeologist and explorer, Hiram Bingham, “discovered” Machu Picchu on July 24, 1911 (locals of course knew of its existence).
I was surprised by the varied construction techniques. In some places, each stone is fit perfectly with those next to it. In other cases, the construction is more rough, not unlike what one sees in medieval castles in Europe. The Inca understood that trapezoidal shapes are stronger than square shapes, and doorways, windows and carved niches are almost all trapezoidal in shape.
Examples of varied construction techniques in the walls.
There is a spring on the hill of Machu Picchu and the Incas utilized it to the fullest extent to provide water to the crops and the inhabitants. They used the law of gravity to provide a running water supply.
Temple of the Sun
One of the most important buildings in Machu Picchu is the Temple of the Sun. It is quite unique in its construction due to the rounded walls, in addition to the windows that align with the summer and winter solstices.
The Agricultural Area
Machu Picchu is divided into two main zones, the urban zone and the agricultural zone, which is the purpose of the extensive terraces. A birds-eye view would show that the majority of land area of Machu Picchu was terraced (I didn’t have an airplane!).
The Urban Zone
The urban zone is really two main areas: The Sacred Plaza with temples and ceremonial places, and the residential area, which has 109 stairways containing about 3,000 steps, and a sophisticated canal system. This city clearly had great urban planners!
The Sacred Plaza
We found the residential side of the city quieter (fewer tourists) than the ceremonial/Sacred Plaza side, probably partly due to the vast size of the residential area.
If you have the opportunity to visit this world wonder, do it!
Information Source: Machu Picchu, Sacred City of the Incas, by Mayer Joel Abanto, 2009.