Machu Picchu Description

Found northwest of Cuzco, Peru, Machu Picchu there once was a royal estate or sacred religious site for Inca leaders. There civilization was wiped out in the 16th century by Spanish invaders. Machu Picchu translates to “old peak” in the native Quechua language. Machu Picchu was discovered around the year 1911 by an archaeologist named Hiram Bingham. The actual site stretches as far as 5 miles and has many levels. Machu Picchu is made up of more than 150 buildings ranging from baths and houses to temples and sanctuaries. The way the buildings were constructed blend so perfectly with the mountains and land. The Temple of the Three Windows has a historical meaning and as well as a great spiritual value. This temple was used to hide the Inca civilization from the Spanish conquerors. The Temple of Three Windows only had three walls on a rectangular base and a roof that was made of large blocks of solid rock covering it. The

The both entrances have a total of seventy-eight steps each, which represents a superb construction of work. There is third set of stairs that lead to a patio connected to the courtyard. In the courtyard there is a device that might have had multiple purposes. It was designed in a quadrangular form, showing a forty-centimeter height prismatic shape. It had a very complex shape that was used as a calendar, or to make weather forecast predictions, and to analyze the light and shadows from the sun.

The Sacred Plaza of Machu Picchu was the main architectural joint because of its location. Many different doctrines such as astronomy, astrology, topography, geology, mathematics, and physics were practiced in this structure. In conclusion, there are many different kinds of buildings, structures in Machu Picchu. I hope to one day visit this historic site and see it in person, hopefully get to learn more about my roots and