Which ancient people built Machu Picchu in the Andes?

The Inca built Machu Picchu in the Andes of present-day Peru.

Machu Picchu was constructed during the fifteenth century, most likely under the Inca ruler Pachacuti, who transformed the Inca state into an expanding empire. The site stands high above the Urubamba River and includes terraces, plazas, ceremonial buildings, residences, and carefully fitted stone walls.

Its builders adapted the settlement to steep mountain terrain. Agricultural terraces reduced erosion and created growing areas, while drainage systems helped manage intense rainfall. Many stones were shaped and fitted without mortar, demonstrating sophisticated masonry techniques.

Machu Picchu was probably a royal estate or ceremonial centre rather than the ordinary capital of the Inca Empire. The Spanish conquest did not record it prominently, and the outside world learned about the site largely after Hiram Bingham publicized it internationally in 1911. Local people already knew of the ruins, so “discovery” refers to modern scholarly attention, not first human knowledge.