Machu Picchu is located in Peru.
The 15th-century Inca citadel stands high in the Andes above the Urubamba Valley, in the Cusco Region. Its terraces, plazas, temples, and finely cut stone buildings were constructed on a mountain ridge at about 2,430 metres above sea level.
Machu Picchu was probably built during the reign of the Inca ruler Pachacuti in the 15th century. Historians continue to debate its precise purpose; explanations include a royal estate, a religious centre, and a ceremonial retreat. The site was not the Inca Empire's capital, which was Cusco.
Hiram Bingham brought the site to broad international attention in 1911, although local people already knew of it. Machu Picchu became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and is now one of Peru's best-known archaeological attractions.