Which Inca citadel in Peru is often called the “Lost City of the Incas”?

Machu Picchu is the Inca citadel in Peru often called the “Lost City of the Incas.”

The site stands high in the Andes above the Urubamba Valley, at roughly 2,430 metres above sea level. Most archaeologists believe it was built in the 15th century during the reign of the Inca ruler Pachacuti. Its terraces, plazas, temples, and carefully fitted stone walls show advanced engineering adapted to steep mountain terrain.

Machu Picchu was probably abandoned during the Spanish conquest, but there is no evidence that Spanish forces discovered it. It remained known to local people and was brought to broad international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. The site’s original purpose may have combined royal residence, religious activity, and astronomical observation.

Machu Picchu is not the same place as Cusco, the former Inca capital. It is also distinct from Choquequirao, another major Inca archaeological site in Peru. UNESCO added Machu Picchu to its World Heritage list in 1983.