Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca Site located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level located in the Cusco Region,Urbamba Province,Nachupcchu District
Most Archaelogists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca Emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472)and referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is perhaps 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
On July 24, 1911, American archeologist Hiram Bingham gets his first look at Machu Picchu, an ancient Inca settlement in Peru that is now one of the world's top tourist destinations
Machu Picchu is believed to have been a summer retreat for Inca leaders, whose civilization was virtually wiped out by Spanish invaders in the 16th century
For hundreds of years afterwards, its existence was a secret known only to the peasants living in the region.
Traveling on foot and by mule, Bingham and his team made their way from Cuzco into the Urubamba Valley, where a local farmer told them of some ruins located at the top of a nearby mountain
The farmer called the mountain Machu Picchu, which meant "Old Peak" in the native Quechua language
The next day--July 24--after a tough climb to the mountain's ridge in cold and drizzly weather, Bingham met a small group of peasants who showed him the rest of the way
Led by an 11-year-old boy, Bingham got his first glimpse of the intricate network of stone terraces marking the entrance to Machu Picchu
The excited Bingham spread the word about his discovery in a best-selling book, sending hordes of eager tourists flocking to Peru to follow in his footsteps up the Inca trail
Today, more than 300,000 people tramp through Machu Picchu every year, braving crowds and landslides to see the sun set over the towering stone monuments of the "Sacred City" and marvel at the mysterious splendor of one of the world's most famous man-made wonders
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