Which ancient Inca site stands high in the Andes of Peru?

Machu Picchu is the ancient Inca site that stands high in the Andes of Peru. The 15th-century citadel is located on a mountain ridge about 2,430 metres above sea level.

Most archaeologists believe Machu Picchu was built during the reign of the Inca ruler Pachacuti, who ruled in the 15th century. The complex contains terraces, plazas, temples, residences, and carefully fitted stone structures. Its builders adapted the site to steep terrain and used agricultural terraces to manage soil and water.

The site was not widely known outside the region until American historian Hiram Bingham brought international attention to it in 1911. Local people already knew of the ruins, so the claim that Bingham “discovered” the site is often treated as an oversimplification. Machu Picchu was probably abandoned during the Spanish conquest period, though the Spanish did not record finding it.

Machu Picchu became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. It is often mistaken for Cusco, but Cusco was the Inca imperial capital and Machu Picchu was a separate mountain settlement.