Peru contains the archaeological site of Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu is a fifteenth-century Inca citadel in the Andes, about 2,430 metres above sea level. It was built during the reign of the Inca ruler Pachacuti, who expanded the Inca state into a major Andean empire. The site includes terraces, temples, residences and carefully fitted stone walls.
Its original purpose is still discussed, but evidence indicates that it was an important royal estate or sacred retreat rather than an ordinary city. The surrounding terraces helped control erosion and support agriculture in steep mountain terrain.
Machu Picchu was not destroyed by the Spanish conquest and was largely unknown internationally until Hiram Bingham’s 1911 expedition brought it wider attention. Local people already knew of the site. UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site in 1983.