The ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is one of the most precious treasures of Peru and the World. It was built in the middle of the 15th century (approximately 1400) and it is based on the fact that it was one of the residences of the ninth Inca of Tahuantinsuyo, Pachacútec, although in it there are also the remains of a sanctuary. The name of Machupicchu is a Quechua word that means old mountain, and refers to the place where it is located, at about 2453 meters above sea level, in a rocky premonitory between Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu.
Currently, this Inca jewel is one of the tourist centers of the country. The travelers come to Aguas Calientes to start the Inca route that Hiram Bingham, the Yale professor, popularized at the beginning of the 20th century. The historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is considered one of the seven new wonders of the modern world and has been declared a World Heritage Site since 1983.
