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Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The natural setting, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/274

The History Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is the most renowned archeological site from the Inca Period. It dates from the middle of the 15th century. The complex is located 2,430 meters above sea level, on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley. The city sits in a saddle between the two mountains Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. This is considered to be scenically the most attractive part of the Peruvian Andes, for which the site earned inscription on natural criteria as well. 

Machu Picchu (a Quechua word for: Old Mountain) was unknown to the Spanish invaders and was only rediscovered in 1911. Its function is still under debate. Theories are that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti and/or was a sacred religious site.

The Inca artistically "sculpted" the mountain. The sanctuary was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Features of Inca archtecture that can be seen are platforms, ramps, stairways, trapezoidal windows and doors. 

At inscription it was suggested to extend the WHS to the Sacred Valley, including Pisac and Ollantaytambo for example. To date this has not happened. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/machupicchu.html