Which Peruvian UNESCO World Heritage Site combines an ancient Inca sanctuary with a dramatic mountain setting?

The Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu combines an ancient Inca sanctuary with a dramatic mountain setting.

Machu Picchu stands in the Andes of southern Peru at about 2,430 metres above sea level. The site includes terraces, plazas, temples, residences, and carefully fitted stone structures, all set among steep cloud-forest mountains. UNESCO inscribed it in 1983 as a mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Site.

The settlement was built in the 15th century during the reign of the Inca ruler Pachacuti. Its exact purpose remains debated, but archaeologists generally view it as a royal estate or sacred retreat connected to the Inca state. The site was probably abandoned during the Spanish conquest, although it was not destroyed by the conquistadors.

Machu Picchu is often described simply as a “lost city,” but that phrase can mislead. Local people knew of the ruins, and the site was not an unknown place before Hiram Bingham’s 1911 expedition brought it broad international attention. The UNESCO property includes surrounding natural landscapes as well as the ruins.