Twenty Thousand years of Civilizations, Architechture and History
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca site located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level. It is located in the Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, Machupicchu District in Peru. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Sacred Valley which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most accheologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often mistakenly referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas" (a title more accurately applied to Vilcabamba), it is the most familiar icon of Inca civilization. Inca civilization also known as Inca Empire was the largest empire in Pre-Columbian-America. The Inca Civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century, and the last Inca stronghold was conquered by the Spanish in 1572.
The Incas built the estate around 1450, but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was not known to the Spanish during the colonial period and remained unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Most of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed in order to give tourists a better idea of what the structures originally looked like. By 1976, 30% of Machu Picchu had been restored, restoration continues today.
Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide Internet poll. Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its three primary structures are the Inti Watana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows.
Machu Picchu is an Incan City surrounded by temples, terraces and water channels, built on a mountaintop. It was built with huge blocks of stone joined to each other without any mortar. Today it has been designated cultural heritage of humanity in recognition of its political, religious and administrative importance during the age of the Incas.
No entrance tickets for any of the hikes are sold at the access checkpoint. Visitors cannot enter the Huayana Picchu zone without the correct ticket. The maximum capacity of visitors is 400 per day, divided into two groups of 200 people according the times indicated.
Follow these steps to purchase the Machu Picchu e-ticket:
1. Make your reservation through the website: www.machupicchu.gob.pe, providing the date of the visit, personal details, and the route to visit. (Remember that the reservation is valid only for 3 hours).
2. After making the reservation you can pay the amount due online us a visa credit card that uses the Verified by Visa security system or in one the authorized offices
3. Once Payment is made you must return to the website www.machupicchu.gob.pe and go to the Check In tax, where you should enter the reservation code in order to be able to print the entrance ticket to Machu Picchu according to the method. chosen.
Maintenance work to be done on Machu Picchu in 2016
For the purpose of maintaining the stairways, platforms and support walls, the mountain of Wayna Picchu (April 1 to 15, 2016) and the mountain of Machu Picchu (April 16 to 30, 2016) will be temporarily closed to tourists. Visitors will, however, have access to all other areas such as the Inca Bridge, Intipunku, and other alternative routes.
Chavin De Huantar
Chavín was one of the most important cultures of the pre-Inca era. Its principal temple, located in the department of Áncash, was one of the main oracles of Peru. It was built in 1400 B.C. but was in decline by the year 500 B.C, during the so-called Formative period. People came to this center to consult the oracle and to make offerings to the gods.
The supreme divinity was represented in El Lanzón or Dios Wari, a giant, carved, lance-shaped monolith, almost 4 meters tall, reached by a series of narrow underground passages. A visit to the complex includes a tour through some of its passages and plazas.
The exterior walls are decorated with a series of important heads: zoomorphic faces carved in stone that guard the temple. Other highlights of the complex include the Tello Pyramid, the Circular Plaza, the Rectangular Plaza, the North and South North Platforms, the New Temple and the Old Temple. In the village of Chavín de Huantar, just a few minutes from the complex, the on-site Museum exhibits archaeological artifacts and important information. The journey to Chavín de Huantar is somewhat cumbersome. The road is in poor condition, but the scenery is breathtaking. It crosses the Cordillera Blanca (White Range) and offers views of snowcapped mountains and lagoons along the way.
The supreme divinity was represented in El Lanzón or Dios Wari, a giant, carved, lance-shaped monolith, almost 4 meters tall, reached by a series of narrow underground passages. A visit to the complex includes a tour through some of its passages and plazas.
The exterior walls are decorated with a series of important heads: zoomorphic faces carved in stone that guard the temple. Other highlights of the complex include the Tello Pyramid, the Circular Plaza, the Rectangular Plaza, the North and South North Platforms, the New Temple and the Old Temple. In the village of Chavín de Huantar, just a few minutes from the complex, the on-site Museum exhibits archaeological artifacts and important information. The journey to Chavín de Huantar is somewhat cumbersome. The road is in poor condition, but the scenery is breathtaking. It crosses the Cordillera Blanca (White Range) and offers views of snowcapped mountains and lagoons along the way.
The Lost Pyramid of Caral
The Sacred City of Caral represents the origin of Andean culture, and it is the most ancient civilization in the Americas, with historical roots reaching back more than 5,000 years. The Caral complex boasts a variety of structures, most notably the six pyramids with their circular plazas. Based on archaeological findings such as tools and artifacts, it has been established that its inhabitants supported themselves by fishing and farming. Among the more important discoveries is the oldest "quipu" (an instrument used to record data) and 32 flautas (flutes) made from condor and pelican bones.
Inca citadel nestled into the top of the Inca hill is considered one of the seven New Wonders of the World. - See more at: http://www.peru.travel/what-to-do/ancient-peru.aspx#sthash.whxs1L24.dpuf
