The Inca civilization built Machu Picchu high in the Andes Mountains of present-day Peru.
Machu Picchu was constructed in the 15th century, during the reign of the Inca ruler Pachacuti. The site stands at about 2,430 metres above sea level on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba River valley.
Its precisely fitted stonework, terraces, plazas, residences, and ceremonial structures demonstrate Inca engineering. The terraces helped create level farmland and reduce erosion on steep slopes, while channels and fountains supplied and controlled water.
The site was probably a royal estate or sacred retreat rather than the ordinary capital of the Inca Empire. Spanish conquerors did not record or destroy it, and it remained largely unknown outside the region until Hiram Bingham brought it to international attention in 1911. Machu Picchu became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.