Machu Picchu is the ancient Inca citadel in Peru located high above the Urubamba Valley.
Built during the 15th century, Machu Picchu stands at about 2,430 metres above sea level in the Andes. Its terraces, plazas, temples, and stone structures were constructed with finely fitted masonry. The site is widely associated with the Inca ruler Pachacuti, whose reign helped expand the Inca Empire.
Machu Picchu was probably abandoned during the Spanish conquest, although the Spanish did not record discovering it. American historian Hiram Bingham brought it to broad international attention in 1911, while local people already knew of the site. It was not the Inca capital; that was Cusco. Machu Picchu became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and is now one of Peru’s best-known cultural landmarks.