Which civilisation built Machu Picchu in the Andes?

The Inca civilisation built Machu Picchu in the Andes.

Machu Picchu is a fifteenth-century Inca site located high in the mountains of present-day Peru. It was probably constructed during the reign of Pachacuti, the ruler who transformed the Inca state into a large imperial power. The site includes terraces, temples, residences and carefully fitted stone structures.

Its exact purpose is not certain. Researchers have proposed that it served as a royal estate, a ceremonial centre or a retreat connected with the Inca ruling family. Its sophisticated terraces helped manage steep slopes and rainfall, while its stonework used blocks fitted closely without modern mortar.

The site was not widely known internationally until the American explorer Hiram Bingham publicised it in 1911, although local people knew of its existence. Machu Picchu is often confused with Cusco, the former Inca capital, or with Choquequirao, another major Inca archaeological site in Peru.